Australians are being called upon to support the regions by signing a petition that aims to secure better healthcare for rural communities. The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) is urging citizens to support a 10-year National Rural Health Strategy, which would require both federal and state governments to commit to improving healthcare access for the seven million Australians living outside urban areas. 

Rural Australians currently face significant disparities in healthcare access compared to city dwellers, with fewer services available and less spending per person. On average, they receive $848 less per year for their healthcare, and as a result, suffer poorer health outcomes and shorter life expectancies—living 12 to 16 years less than their urban counterparts. 

In 2021, age-standardised mortality rates increased as remoteness increased for males and females, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. People living in inner or outer regional areas had a mortality rate 1.1 times as high, people living in remote areas had a mortality rate 1.2 times as high and people living in very remote areas had a mortality rate 1.5 times as high. Males had a higher mortality rate than females in all remoteness areas. 

The petition, which will be submitted to the House of Representatives, calls for politicians to address these inequities and ensure that all Australians, regardless of their location, receive the healthcare they deserve. The deadline for signatures is October 10.

"Nearly seven million Australians living in rural areas are being denied the basic human right to healthcare and wellbeing," Susi Tegen, Chief Executive of the NRHA said. "This petition highlights the longstanding neglect of rural health in national policy and budgeting. The current approach lacks coordination and sustained investment from both Commonwealth and State governments." 

Ms Tegen emphasized that despite rural Australians making up 30 per cent of the population and contributing two-thirds of the country’s export earnings, they continue to be underserved.

"Rural communities produce over 90 per cent of Australia’s food and half of its tourism income, yet health investments lag significantly behind urban areas," she said.

The NRHA has outlined a three-point plan for building a healthier rural Australia which includes: 

1. A National Rural Health Strategy to coordinate government investments and service delivery. 
2. A $1 billion National Rural Health Fund to support healthcare services and infrastructure in rural areas, especially those struggling to attract and retain medical professionals. 
3. Long-term funding for the NRHA to act as a bridge between rural communities, clinicians, and governments, and to facilitate innovation through a Rural Health Innovation and Evidence Hub. 

The Alliance represents 53 national organizations committed to improving the health and wellbeing of rural and remote Australians. These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services, healthcare providers, educators, and students. 

Australians are encouraged to lend their voice to this vital cause by signing the petition. For more information, visit the National Rural Health Alliance website. 

Learn more about the petition here.