The VCCC Alliance has stepped up efforts to increase health equity in the cancer sector across regional Victoria, with the Regional Equity Program now underway.
A Regional Equity Community of Practice has been established with more than 40 people applying to join the initiative, which will have its first virtual meeting on October 16.
The Regional Equity Program is part of a suite of programs in the Health Equity team and aims to build workforce capability in health equity by sharing knowledge between researchers, healthcare professionals, regional cancer services, patients and their communities
The program is one way the VCCC Alliance is bringing its Cancer Equity Framework to life, to ensure all Victorian people have access to optimal cancer care.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for three in every 10 deaths. It is also the leading cause of total burden of disease and injury. While rates of survival have increased for many cancers in Australia, as a direct or indirect consequence of major health care reforms and technological advances, these improvements are not experienced uniformly across Victoria’s population.
Areas with Victoria’s highest rates of cancer diagnoses, and lowest survival rates are also areas of greatest social and economic disadvantage. Aboriginal Victorians, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations, and Victorians living in regional and rural areas have not benefited to the same extent as the as the rest of the population. In some instances, outcomes are declining.
Areas of focus in the Cancer Equity Framework are clinical care, research, education and training, with a view to have principles of equity embedded into each stage of the research process and to empower the cancer workforce with knowledge and skills to apply an equity lens to their work.
“We want to support the transformation of systems and practices to address inequities across cancer care and drive cultural change,” said Regional Equity Program Manager, Carolyn Robertson.
The Regional Equity Program will develop and deliver:
