Conference on Rural Health - Lessons from the Foot & Mouth Disease Crisis

A major conference was held at the University on October 4th and heard from health professionals, farmers, vets, artists, voluntary organisations and government, about both the experience of surviving the crisis in the countryside and the outreach health and welfare work which is to be developed to prevent the countryside degenerating further and becoming a dormitory and playground for the privileged.

In the aftermath of the foot and mouth disease disaster practitioners and policymakers are being made to rethink their strategy for rural health. The crisis has shown that health and welfare systems are just as critical and just as vulnerable in the countryside as they are in urban areas. The crisis has thrown the spotlight on rural areas and this has shown that far from being 'healthier' than towns, poverty, isolation and poor access to services has been a major problem for families, the unemployed and low paid workers in the countryside.

Following the conference a number of interviews were held with local radio and television stations further stating many of the issues raised during the conference.