Volunteering is a great way for health workers of varying experience to contribute meaningfully to communities around the globe.  Here is an update on what opportunities are available for Australian and New Zealand health workers - please reply to share more.  You can find more information in Find a Job, and on the Work and Volunteering Forum.

It is an exciting time for anyone interested in volunteering in global health, with two recent developments making it much easier to get involved.  Firstly, Kevin Rudd MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, recently launched AusAID's new volunteer program - Australian Volunteers for International Development.  The program is part of the Australian Government’s $55 million commitment to international volunteering in 2011/12 and will see more than 900 volunteers on assignment in 33 countries in Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, as well as developing nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Secondly, for those of you interested in medical assignments the Australian Medical Association (AMA) is launching a 'Guide to Working Abroad' on Tuesday 21 June.  Members of the Global Health Gateway will be attending (and have been involved in developing the guide), along with guest speakers Prof Rob Moodie and Prof Mike Toole, and a number of the volunteer agencies highlighted below.  See more details on the Calendar, and view the flyer here.

Continue reading for an overview of the new Australian Volunteers for International Development program, and the other major volunteer programs that send health workers on assignment.