Katherine Galligan
Solomon Islands

Katherine will spend twelve months in Honiara as a Community Rehabilitation Development Officer with the Community Based Rehabilitation Unit (CBRU) part of the Ministry of Health. This assignment is partnered with the CBM Australia - Nossal Institute Partnership.

CBRU manages and coordinates rehabilitation services for people with disabilities (PWDs) in the community. Community based rehabilitation field workers are in each of the Solomon Island provinces and are responsible for providing rehabilitation services to PWDs. The CBRU and its staff also undertake community development work in their local areas to improve the lives of PWDs.

The focus of her assignment is on policy development and for the current CBR programs and the evaluation of these services to assist with future planning. Through these avenues Katherine is looking forward to working with her local colleagues and counterparts to strengthen services for people with a disability throughout the Solomon Islands. She will also help identify opportunities to improve the quality of services for people living with disabilities.

Katherine has a background in physiotherapy, graduating from the University of Queensland in 2002. She has had several clinical and non clinical community based roles in the remote communities of Cape York and North West Queensland. She has worked in Mt Isa as part of a large allied health team which provides outreach services to 17 remote communities and has a strong interest in primary health care, disability and remote health.

Looking forward to the challenge of living and working in the Solomon Island Katherine hopes this project will allow her the opportunity to spend some time exploring the country and getting to know the local cultures.