Raising awareness about chronic disease in our rural communities. Understand what diseases may be more common among rural and remote people, and how we can prevent illnesses from developing. Many articles are written by our wonderful rural doctors. They highlight important information about how to stay healthy and well.
CategoriesDisease Prevention WellbeingWith colder temperatures and a lower resistance to the flu, many Australians are suffering this winter. Follow these simple tips to improve your chances of staying healthy this winter.
CategoriesDisease Prevention WellbeingApproximately 1 in 70 Australians have coeliac disease however 80% remain undiagnosed. Most Australians with coeliac disease don’t know it. Improved awareness of the condition has resulted in higher diagnosis rates in the past few years, however, there has also been an increase in the incidence of coeliac disease.
Rural Doctors Foundation recommend that if you have a close relative with coeliac disease, ask your local rural doctor for a blood test to screen for coeliac disease.
CategoriesDisease Prevention WellbeingOn World Kidney Day, Rural Doctors Foundation reminds us of this often silent but potentially life-threatening disease. Over 8% of Australians lives with some form of kidney disease and 20,000 die each year.
A regular check with your rural doctor will monitor your kidney health. Early detection and treatment can help slow or prevent any future damage.
CategoriesDisease PreventionCancer is currently the number one cause of death in Australia, taking the lives of approximately 50,000 Australians each year. However, despite the high prevalence, many misconceptions about cancer still manage to circulate.
Rural doctors play a significant role in supporting not only the patient but also their family and the community. They are connected to many support organisations and provide valuable information and resources to help a family understand the options and support available to them.
CategoriesAgeing Disease Prevention Mental HealthAt 59 years of age, Professor Tarun Sen Gupta has not reached official senior status just yet. But he is described by his students as the King of Rural Medicine.
He has educated and mentored about 4,000 medical students and junior doctors on their journey to being rural doctors in his decades of work. The theme of 2021 Seniors Month is Social Connections.
Rural Doctors Foundation spoke with Professor Sen Gupta, who is Treasurer of the Foundation, about the importance of staying connected.
CategoriesDisease Prevention Grant Recipients Mental HealthTo help shine a light on mental health in rural Queensland communities, Rural Doctors Foundation is sharing just one of the ways it supports rural mental health and wellbeing.
The sharing of this story coincides with awareness raising campaigns World Health Day (October 10) and Queensland Mental Health Week (October 9 – 16).
CategoriesDisease PreventionWorld Heart Day is celebrated on 29 September each year. This is a global initiative of the World Heart Federation to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease.
This World Heart Day, Rural Doctors Foundation spoke with one of its Directors, Dr Tony Brown, about his own experience of a heart attack.
CategoriesDisease Prevention Mental HealthThis week is Dementia Action Week when Australians are encouraged to find out more about dementia. This will assist people living with the condition to feel less isolated and alone. To help raise awareness of dementia, Rural Doctors Foundation interviewed experienced rural practitioner and health educator, Professor Tarun Sen Gupta, who is Treasurer of the Foundation.
CategoriesDisease PreventionDuring Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Rural Doctors Foundation is encouraging Queenslanders to create awareness to assist in the fight against prostate cancer. Blue September – a Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia campaign – is supported by communities across the nation in a bid to shine a light on the disease. To help raise awareness, Rural Doctors Foundation interviewed Stanthorpe Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Dan Halliday, who is Chair of the Foundation.
CategoriesDisease PreventionAsthma affects 11 per cent of Australians, but personal trainer Mandy Willis had no inkling she would be one of them.Rural Doctors Foundation spoke with the woman from the south-east Queensland farming town of Beaudesert to share her story of what it is like to live with asthma.
