Professor Ian Anderson – first Aboriginal Australian Chair of Indigenous Health, University of Melbourne
Current topic| The following summary has been adapted from the 14 April 2004 University of Melbourne media release
The University of Melbourne has recently established a Chair of Indigenous Health, and has appointed one of Australia’s leading Indigenous health experts, Professor Ian Anderson, to the position. The Head of the School of Population Health, Professor Terry Nolan, believes that the establishment and appointment of the Chair will help raise awareness of Indigenous health issues and encourage partnerships and collaborations with Indigenous communities nationwide. Professor Anderson believes that Indigenous people must have a voice in Indigenous health issues and problems, and states that the Indigenous community ‘can provide intellectual leadership about the values society looks for in the health care sector’. He emphasises that areas which are important in the Indigenous health context – such as holistic health, community participation, and the linking of curative and preventative health services – are having a big impact on the health sector in general. He believes that those working in the Indigenous health field can make a valuable contribution to Australian society by sharing knowledge about how to improve the provision of health services. For the past 19 years, Professor Anderson has worked in Indigenous health as a health worker, health educator, and general practitioner. He is currently Head of the Centre for the Study of Health and Society at Melbourne University, in addition to being Research Director for the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health. He is also an appointed member of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). For further information: |
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