Thursday 29 October 2009
NT Department of Health and Families (DHF) and the Melbourne- based Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute will tomorrow (October 30) host over 100 health professionals for the inaugural two-day 'Diabetes at the Centre: The How, Where and Why- an Educational Symposium'.Interstate and international heart disease and diabetes experts will congregate in Alice Springs to confer with local health providers on the management and prevention of diabetes and heart disease in Central Australia.
The Symposium aims to showcase the partnerships of NT Health (DHF) and Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in 'closing the gap' in life expectancy and health indicators separating Indigenous and non- Indigenous people.
Director of the Preventable Chronic Disease Program and one of the organisers of the Symposium, Dr Christine Connors said "It is essential to use the most current research findings to prevent disease and help indigenous people manage their diabetes and heart disease.
"Mortality rates in Indigenous Australians are three times the rate of the rest of the population and life expectancy is 17 years less than for non-indigenous Australians.
"Chronic diseases are the single most important contributor to this gap. This is why we need to be constantly working to identify, prevent and treat chronic disease."
A number of DHF health professionals will present at the Symposium and the event will also be co- chaired by Dr Steven Brady, Head of Medicine at Alice Springs Hospital.
The symposium is free and open to all NT- based health professionals. If interested in attending, please visit www.bakeridi.edu.au or phone 1300 738 900.
Media contacts: Chelsea Rogers 0401 114 113, Anna Campbell 0401 116 144
