New Refugee health & wellbeing action plan & Network launched
07-Dec-2008Around 90 people gathered at Foundation House to celebrate the launch of the Refugee health and wellbeing action plan 2008-10 and the Victorian Refugee Health Network by the Hon Daniel Andrews, Minister for Health and eminent Australian, Sir Gus Nossal AC CBE.
It was an opportunity to celebrate the work and contribution of the many people who have contributed to improving services to support refugees and asylum seekers in Victoria.
The new Refugee Health and Wellbeing Action Plan 2008-10 describes issues and initiatives ranging across the human services portfolio, from hospital and community health services, to housing and mental health support, and child, youth and family wellbeing. It presents a diversity of programs and initiatives that respond to the needs of people of a refugee background, as well as providing a useful and accessible information resource about refugee health and wellbeing. It can be downloaded from the DHS Multicultural Strategy Refugee Health page at:www.dhs.vic.gov.au/multicultural/html/refugee_action.htm
The Victorian Refugee Health Network was established in 2007 and has successfully brought together health care providers, settlement service providers and government departments to work collaboratively on refugee health issues. A series of working groups have been established and roundtables conducted to address issues such as asylum seeker health, oral health, access to specialist care and health services provision in rural areas. A key resource of the network is this website at www.refugeehealthnetwork.org.au
Telmo Languiller MP, Member for Derrimut, Louise Crowe, Sue Casey, Paris Aristotle, The Hon. Mr Daniel Andrews, Minister for Health, Sir Gus Nossal, Tim Lightfoot, Sally Richardson, Monica Pfeffer.
The Hon Daniel Andrews, Minister for Health
Sir Gus Nossal & Dr Tim Lightfoot (chair of the Victorian Refugee Health Network)
Sir Gus Nossal chats with Dr Bev Biggs and Dr Tim Lightfoot
Sir Gus Nossal