120 people, including an online contingent from all across remote Australia attended the inaugural Remote Australians Matter conference in Charleville, western Queensland - representing communities, healthcare services including the RFDS, indigenous communities and professional groups such as ACRRM, SARRAH, RACGP Rural, and RDAA. 

It was an amazing day full of enthusiasm and positive thinking, that examined the needs of remote Australia. RAM brought together delegates to design and develop a charter that will guide the work of RAM to advocate for equitable access to universal health coverage for everyone in remote Australia. 

We’re calling it the Charleville Charter: 

That integrated and community based and led health services are prioritised to deliver universal health coverage to remote Australia. 

It’s a simple statement that means so much to the people who live and work in remote Australia.  Universal health coverage, as defined in the UN sustainable development goals means providing appropriate primary healthcare to everyone, regardless of where they live, and equitable access to the same standard of health provision that our urban counterparts enjoy. 

Moving forward there will be 5 working groups established; they will be focusing on; 

    • community involvement & leadership  

    • universal health coverage 

    • workforce 

    • place based community health models  

    • funding and resourcing  

     

    We heard from two excellent indigenous health services yesterday - Charleville and Western Areas Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health (CWAATSICH) and Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation - about how they’re working to close the gap, and how they deliver services to everyone regardless of who they are or where they live, a truly collaborative and inclusive approach to health care that it so important across remote Australia.  

    RAM is an independent umbrella organisation that empowers and encourages remote Australians to join and participate in the design and development of solutions that are fit for their community and their residents.  It's not about enforcing a model that won't work - it's about identifying solutions that will work and helping our friends in Canberra acknowledge that, so that they can deliver the funding and support that remote Australia needs to improve health outcomes. We’re coming together to deliver solutions to Canberra – not problems.  We're not whinging, we know what the issues are, we need to advocate for remote Australia to make sure that we get solutions that are fit for purpose, solutions that will deliver outcomes and will improve the lives of remote Australians.  

    For more information about RAM contact: remoteaustraliansmatter@gmail.com