This International Allied Health Professions Day on 14 October 2026, the Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences (ACDHS) celebrates the contribution of all allied health professionals who provide vital services to our communities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, including the important work of national peak bodies Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) and Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand (AHANZ). We also acknowledge the contributions from clinical educators, researchers and students across our member universities who help shape the future of allied health.
In Australia, this year’s theme is Allied health: For everyone, everywhere, and in Aotearoa New Zealand, the theme is Better Health Together. Both themes highlight the vital role of allied health in supporting better health outcomes for everyone.
ACDHS Chair, Professor Terry Haines, said:
“This year’s International Allied Health Professions Day is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contribution of allied health professionals everywhere across Australia, Atearoa New Zealand and internationally who are making an enormous difference to the health of our communities every day.
We also recognise the interconnected nature of our health system and celebrate the contributions of our member universities leading critical research, educating the next generation of allied health professionals and working across the sector to strengthen education, practice and policy.
As we celebrate these contributions, we also look to the future and recognise ongoing work needed to ensure we have the research, education, workforce and services we need to respond to challenges and meet growing and evolving community needs, help achieve better health outcomes and ensure allied health continues to be for everyone, everywhere.”
Spotlight: bringing the clinical education community together
One example of our collaborative approach to help build the future of allied health is our newly launched Allied Health Clinical Education Community of Practice. The Community of Practice brings together interdisciplinary clinical educators from member universities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to share innovation, leading practice, experiences and approaches to strengthen clinical education.
The Community of Practice had its first meeting in October 2026, bringing together over 50 participants across member universities. The session featured a presentation from Associate Professor Andrew Kilgour (RMIT) on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and the development of a capability-based work-integrated learning (WIL) assessment framework in Medical Radiation. Participants also took part in collaborative discussions, sharing insights and experiences to help shape the Community of Practice’s future priorities and activities.
Chair of the Community of Practice, Dr Lisa Simmons from James Cook University highlights the importance of this collaborative approach:
“Every allied health profession brings expertise that others can learn from. Our Community of Practice invites members to share the challenges they are still working through, alongside approaches that have worked well. Exploring these experiences together helps us question assumptions and develop practical responses that reflect different professions, services and communities.
If we want sustainable healthcare, we need sustainable learning cultures. That means investing in the clinicians and educators who create them. The Community of Practice provides a space for allied health educators to strengthen their teaching through shared experience, evidence and support from colleagues who understand the work.”
Supporting interdisciplinary clinical educators to connect, share knowledge and collaborate across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand through our Community of Practice is one initiative helping to shape the future of allied health.
How to join:
If you’re a clinical educator from an ACDHS member university, we encourage you to join the Community of Practice. Participation is open to clinical educators from member universities. Please email: strategicsupport@acdhs.edu.au to join.
Building the future, to deliver better health together, for everyone, everywhere
On Allied Health Professions Day, ACDHS recognises and celebrates the professionals everywhere who contribute to allied health every day and the collective work underway to ensure allied health can continue to meet the needs of people and communities now and into the future.
Chair, Professor Terry Haines said:
“From education to research and clinical practice and services, the impact of allied health across the breadth of our professions and services is demonstrated in the real differences made to people’s lives and the health of our communities across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. By continuing to work together collaboratively across our sector, we can help ensure a future where allied health truly is for everyone, everywhere.”
