New Australian Government funding for rural and regional preventative health research on the North West will support the University of Tasmania’s efforts to place the best of science in communities where it can help the most.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Health Greg Hunt announced $2.4 million in funding for a Centre of Excellence in Rural and Regional Health in Burnie during June following a tour of the University’s Rural Clinical School.
University of Tasmania Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black welcomed the new investment, which he said would support a bold, place-based, whole-of-life preventative health research agenda.
“We are placing the best of science at the service of communities where it can help the most,” Professor Black said.
“Our focus is on preventative health not just because it saves people from illness but also because it improves their quality of life.
“This is a set of programs to work with the community to support better health throughout the whole-of-life from newborns to the older members of our communities.”
The University of Tasmania has world-leading expertise to bring to bear on health issues in Tasmania, through the College of Health and Medicine and specialist institutions such as the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. This is an opportunity to fuse that capability together to serve our community in the North West.
The University’s research and education programs are addressing obesity from before a child is even born, working to improve levels of physical activity across populations and communities, and boosting dementia knowledge and tackling risk factors in regional areas.
“This is science to benefit people at all stages of life,” Professor Black said.
“We have an innovative program that focuses on a child’s first 1000 days to give Tasmanians the best start to life, and we work too with communities about how better to support active lifestyles. During middle age, we are in communities tackling the risk factors for dementia and a range of other health conditions so that we give Tasmanians the best possible life as they get older.”
The funding will be delivered from the Medical Research Future Fund.
