Tim Mendham, executive officer of the Australian Skeptics, writes: “One of the poster boys of the global anti-vaccination movement, Dr Andrew Wakefield, has been found guilty of being dishonest, irresponsible and misleading, with the possibility of being struck off the medical register. Wakefield was a senior lecturer in the Departments of Medicine and Histopathology at [...]
READ MOREJanuary, 2010
Who are the real losers in the cataract surgery campaign?
The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists is claiming that its deal with the Feds over cuts to the cataract surgery rebate is a victory for patients. Croakey is particularly taken by the line in their media statement that says: “The ASO has always argued that the interests of patients should be the primary consideration ”. But of [...]
READ MOREJust one question about the new Aboriginal Health Worker association…
Today in Ceduna, Minister Warren Snowdon launched a new national association for Aboriginal Health Workers. This report estimates there are more than 1,500 in the country. The question I have is: why has it taken so long? It is not an idle or facetious question. I’d really appreciate any insights you may have, whether micro [...]
READ MOREWHO defends itself against “faked pandemic”claims
As previously reported at Croakey, the Council of Europe this week convened a public hearing titled “Faked pandemics: a threat to public health”. Here is what the World Health Organization told the hearing.
READ MOREWHO moving towards stemming flow of doctors from poor to rich countries
The World Health Organization is moving towards taking some action on the flow of health professionals from poor to rich countries. It is likely that Australia is one of its targets, argues health economist Professor Gavin Mooney. He writes:
READ MOREWhy I have been vaccinated against pandemic influenza: an expert’s account
As previously reported at Croakey, the World Health Organisation is facing some awkward questions in Europe regarding the pharmaceutical industry’s role in the pandemic influenza response, and here is the latest snippet in an issue which is likely to continue to hit the headlines. Professor Robert Booy, a paediatrician and infectious diseases expert from the [...]
READ MORESoft on drugs? Or going cuckoo?
Forget Media Watch. Today we bring you Media Release Watch, thanks to Dr Alex Wodak, President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation. In his sights is a recent release from Andrew Stoner, the leader of the NSW Nationals. Dr Wodak writes:
READ MOREWhat do the CPI figures really say about health?
If the Government takes a close look at the health component of the latest CPI figures, there are some clear lessons for policy, says Ian McAuley, a Centre for Policy Development Fellow and lecturer in Public Sector Finance at the University of Canberra. He writes: “The movement in the CPI for the December quarter was [...]
READ MOREMental health reform part 2: Should the feds take over community health?
Continuing his series on mental health reform, Sydney psychiatrist Professor Alan Rosen argues that the states – well most of them anyway – have forfeited the right to run community mental health services. He writes:
READ MOREA freebie book on citizen’s juries, and more debate about how best to pay doctors
Health economist Gavin Mooney has two offerings for Croakey readers. For those with an interest in citizen’s juries and their potential for informing health policy and related decisions, he has just released A Handbook on Citizens’ Juries, which sets out their pros and cons, how to run them, and gives some examples of their use [...]
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