Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health

Structure

The Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health (ACITH) is a virtual centre which includes staff at QIMR, the School of Population Health (SPH) at The University of Queensland (UQ) and informally, staff at the Australian Army Malaria Institute. It is one of several collaborative programs that QIMR has with UQ and other public and private entities. These programs maintain the autonomy of the partners while promoting shared goals.

ACITH is one of two designated national centres within a network of Public Health Education and Research Program (PHERP) centres.

At QIMR, research related to ACITH's goals is carried out by individuals within many of the departments.

At the SPH, research and teaching related to ACITH's goals is carried out in the Tropical Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Health Programs and some in association with the Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences. Some staff at QIMR also lecture at the SPH. 

Governance is provided by the ACITH Consultative Council, comprising both ACITH and external members. Their terms of reference are to provide policy advice and support and direction to the Director and the Board of Management. Indigenous Health is represented on the Council but in order to provide fuller consultation, a separate Indigenous subcommittee reports to Council. These bodies meet twice per year.

The Board of Management comprises senior members of ACITH, QIMR and UQ (SPH) and meets regularly to manage day-to-day affairs.

Aims

The key aims for ACITH are the following:

• To promote excellence in public health education and research with focus on tropical health
• To provide high quality and culturally appropriate public health education and training programs for health workers involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to ensure:

1. continuous skill development in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services
2. support for the expressed needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the National Aboriginal Health Strategy

• To enhance Australia's ability to meets its international obligations in relation to public health by: 

1. developing links with Australian and overseas academic, professional research and development assistance communities and non-government organisations
2. collaborating with international agencies such as WHO and UNICEF and regional programs such as SEAMEO-TROPMED
   supporting Australian and international development assistance programs
3. providing high quality education courses and research training
4. supporting measures to improve the health of groups with special needs including Australian South Sea Islanders and migrant and refugee communities.

• To generate an environment conducive to the production of intellectually rigorous ideas which can challenge, evaluate and renew public policy and action.

Funding

ACITH is core funded by the Public Health Education and Research Program (PHERP), which is administered by the Population Health Division of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. These funds are designed to create leverage and currently ACITH members grant holdings are approximately eight times its core funding.