The Oceania Tobacco Control Conference (OTCC) 2024, set to take place on the Gold Coast, Australia, has announced a strong focus on improving health outcomes for Indigenous people in Australia and the Oceanic region, with a particular emphasis on First Nations participation.
Organisers have tailored the event for the approximately 500 delegates to address tobacco-related health disparities, which disproportionately affect Indigenous communities.
The conference, organised by PCO ICMS Australasia, includes an Aboriginal Cultural Conference Partner and specific programming for First Nations delegates.
A pre-conference workshop will cater to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Māori, Pacific and other Indigenous professionals working in tobacco control and smoking cessation.
Half of the keynote speakers at OTCC 2024 will be of First Nations descent, featuring voices from Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands, ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are central to the discussions.
Emma Bowyer, CEO of ICMS Australasia, said: “Now that the blueprint has been created for OTCC 2024, future Oceania Tobacco Control Conferences will be able to continue to deepen First Nation participation and discussion as it is hosted around the Oceanic region, with better outcomes for First Nations people’s health and wellbeing.”
The Australian Government’s National Tobacco Strategy, which prioritises reducing tobacco use among Indigenous communities, will also be highlighted at the event.