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Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommends mifepristone (RU486) be listed on the PBS

Published: 27 April 2013

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee has recommended that mifepristone (RU486) and another drug taken in conjunction, misoprostol, be covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In the coming weeks the Government will consider the recommendation and a decision is expected to be made prior to the election. More information is available here.

AFMW President's Report April 2013

Published: 20 April 2013

Welcome to another AFMW newsletter!

First on the agenda is a reminder that the MWIA International Congress is on this year in Seoul, Korea July 31-August 2nd 2013. These meetings are only held every 3 years, this year’s theme is ‘Medical Women Advance Global Health’ more information can be found at http://www.mwiaseoul2013.org. These meetings are amazing to attend and I urge you to make attending a priority! For those who are attending, please ensure the AFMW Secretariat has your contact details. In addition, if you or anyone you know of has been a medical woman for 50 years or more please let the Secretariat know, as MWIA will be awarding Golden Jubilee Certificates at the Congress. If you are interested in the MWIA resolutions process and the current resolutions proposed, please contact the AFMW Secretariat. The resolutions are debated and agreed upon at each triennial congress and passed on to the United Nations.  Current MWIA resolutions can be found here.

In other news, Dr Gabrielle Casper, Dr Raie Goodwach and Dr Magdalena Simonis via their MWIA memberships (automatically granted with your State or AFMW membership) attended the United Nations Council on the Status of Women Meeting 57. The themes were:

Read more: AFMW President's Report April 2013

AFMW affirms its commitment to ending racism

Published: 20 March 2013

AFMW is proud to affirm its commitment to ending racism on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. AFMW has joined forces with some of Australia’s leading businesses, sporting bodies and NGO’s to support the “Racism. It stops with me” campaign, which is being led by the Australian Human Rights Commission. The campaign emphasises the importance of taking a stand against racism whenever it happens. AFMW has pledged to undertake activities that aim to prevent racism in support of the campaign.

One in seven Australians said they had experienced discrimination because of their colour or background in 2011, a figure that has been increasing steadily in recent years. The International Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1966, to coincide with the date in 1960 when police killed 69 people in Sharpeville, South Africa at a peaceful protest against apartheid laws. The theme for the International Day in 2013 is “Racism and Sport”.

For more information about the ‘Racism: It Stops with Me’ campaign, or to find a range of anti-racism resources, go to: http://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/  or follow the campaign on Twitter @ItStopsWithMe. 

ACT Paediatrician Dr Sue Packer named 2013 Canberra Citizen of the Year

Published: 12 March 2013

AFMW extends hearty congratulations to the inspiring Dr Sue Packer who has been named the 2013 Canberra Citizen of the Year today for her commitment to the ACT community, and especially to the welfare of children and young people. To read more about Dr Packer and to listen to her speak about the award, her life and her work, please follow this link.

Part time surgical training

Published: 30 December 2012

An article from the RACS Women In Surgery Section on part time surgical training has been published in the December edition of the ANZ Journal of Surgery. Co-authored by AFMW Committee members Dr Jillian Tomlinson and Associate Professor Deborah Colville, the article explains statistics show that surgical training has the lowest level of flexible training of any medical specialty in Australia. A survey of trainees conducted by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trainee Association in 2010 demonstrates that over a third of trainees are interested in less than full time training but while the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) has a part time training policy that allows part time training, the practical barriers mean that flexible surgical training is practically non-existent. The article calls for hospitals and surgical supervisors to work together with RACS to provide flexible surgical training positions for trainees. The issue has also been covered in The Australian newspaper, with an article titled "Women doctors reaching 'surgical glass ceiling'". We encourage any surgical trainees who wish to discuss issues around flexible surgical training to contact Dr Tomlinson and Associate Professor Colville.

Government to boost FGM awareness & review legal framework

Published: 30 December 2012

The Prime Minister has announced that the Gillard Government will boost community awareness campaigns and review Australia’s legal framework in an effort to address Female Genital Mutilation in Australia.  The announcement included immediately implementing:

 • Providing $500,000 in grants to fund organisations to run education and awareness activities and support change within communities
• New research and data collection on FGM will be undertaken as a priority
• Minister Plibersek holding a national summit on this subject early next year, bringing together community, health, legal and policing experts to discuss how we can increase awareness and  support and reduce incidence in Australia
• The Attorney-General will review the current legal framework in Australia, and provide advice on whether any changes are required to ensure full protection against FGM at home or abroad.