Broken Hill Centre for Remote Health Research

The Broken Hill Centre for Remote Health Research was established in 2003 to expand the existing capacity for population health research and development in Broken Hill.

The Centre is a joint initiative of the University of Sydney’s Broken Hill Department of Rural Health and the Population Health Division of the Greater Western Area Health Service - Remote Health Cluster.

The partnership aims to enhance:

• the functions of the Population Health Division that rely on research methods
• training in research methods for Population Health Division staff, public health officers, and other public health and clinical trainees
• the translation of Department of Rural Health research into policy and practice, for the benefit not only of greater western NSW, but for all remote parts of Australia

The Centre's objectives are to:

1. Build and sustain capacity in greater western NSW for:
   
   • epidemiological research and surveillance; and
     
   • other types of research relevant to population health and the delivery of health services in rural and remote settings.
2. Enhance national expertise in rural and remote health research and the translation of research into policy and practice.

The focus of the Centre is to:

• support population health functions that rely on research methods eg surveillance
• conduct research on remote and Indigenous health issues
• provide training in research methods
• translate research into policy and practice

The Centre comprises three interrelated streams:

• Research and development
  Focuses on research that relates to remote and regionally specific issues or involves a remote component of a wider research and development issue.
• Research capacity building
  Training and support in primary health care research, particularly among local practitioners, and the development and maintenance of a support network for researchers working in isolated settings.
• Public health surveillance and programs
  Focuses on the provision of information on Aboriginal health and welfare for western NSW, and the provision of information in relation to remote and isolated communities. In addition, the stream provides support for public health surveillance and programs and outbreak investigation capacity.

Find out more about the Centre's:

• Research activity
• Publications and presentations
• Collaborations
• Staff contact details