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Monthly Archives: May 2011

Coalition to support plain packaging: a “breakthrough” for public health

May 31, 2011 – 3:14 pm

As told via Twitter…. Why the change of heart?

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in public health, tobacco control | Tagged plain packaging, public health, tobacco control | Comments (3)

Marking World No Tobacco Day: a gong for Roxon, and a note to “social smokers”

May 31, 2011 – 11:09 am

As part of its World No Tobacco Day Awards, the World Health Organization has recognised Health Minister, Nicola Roxon. According to the WHO, she has been awarded the WHO Director-General’s Special Recognition certificate (with a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra this morning). Meanwhile, the Acting CEO of VicHealth, Associate Professor John Fitzgerald, puts the [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in alcohol, cancer, public health, tobacco control | Tagged Nicola Roxon, social smoking, WHO, World No Tobacco Day | Comments (8)

Some important questions about whether child health checks should be part of welfare reform

May 31, 2011 – 10:53 am

Does a medical model or a social health framework provide the most equitable and effective approach for improving the health of children (and thus of future adults and communities), particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds? This seems to be a critical issue to consider when evaluating the intent and impact of the Federal Government move to [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in child health, Federal Budget 2011, general practice, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, primary health care, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged child health checks, children's health, Healthy Kids Checks, Marmot Review, Medicare, social determinants of health, welfare reform | Comments (5)

The movies and memoirs of mental health

May 30, 2011 – 7:17 pm

In keeping with the cultural theme of recent posts, below is an article about mental health at the movies (first published at the Cinetology blog), as well as a list compiled in the US of the 20 greatest memoirs of mental illness (which omits some of my favourites). *** What are Australian film-makers telling us [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in alcohol, illicit drugs, Indigenous health, men's health, mental health, rural and remote health, Youth health | Tagged bullying, Indigenous health, Mad Bastards, mental health, Snowtown, suicide prevention, Wasted on the Young | Comments (0)

The latest update of health and medical news from The Conversation

May 30, 2011 – 10:47 am

In the latest update of health and medical news from The Conversation… Reema Rattan and Fron Jackson-Webb write: Here’s a taste of what The Conversation’s health and medical experts have said over the past two weeks: A licensing scheme to make smokers butt out for good By Simon Chapman, Professor of Public Health at the University of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in adverse events, alcohol, Food, health reform, influenza, public health, quality and safety of health care, rural and remote health, tobacco control, Uncategorized, vaccines | Tagged adverse events, alcohol, plain packaging, public health, tobacco, vaccination, wind turbines | Comments (0)

Singing in praise of plain packaging of cigarettes

May 30, 2011 – 9:42 am

In recent times, public health advocates have been taking to the newspaper columns and our TV screens to argue the case for the plain packaging of cigarettes legisation. Now some of the troubadors of public health have taken to YouTube to lend their support to the legislation, and the Health Minister Nicola Roxon, whom they [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in health reform, public health, tobacco control | Tagged cigarettes, Nicola Roxon, plain packaging, public health, tobacco control | Comments (4)

The Therapeutic Goods Administration responds …

May 26, 2011 – 6:25 pm

Last night I emailed the public affairs unit of the Department of Health and Ageing about the recent Croakey articles on the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Below is my request, and the response. From Croakey Dear public affairs Croakey has recently run several articles related to the TGA generally, and comp medicine regulation, and TGA media [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in adverse events, complementary medicines, consumer health information, quality and safety of health care, TGA | Tagged complementary medicines, TGA, Therapeutic Goods Administration | Comments (9)

How vaccination policies could be improved

May 26, 2011 – 6:02 pm

An investigation into the management of adverse effects associated with influenza vaccinination of children (with the Panvax and Fluvax products) was released yesterday. The report, by the Australian Government’s former chief medical officer, Professor John Horvath, is dated March 10. It coincides with a special theme issue on vaccination from the journal Nature. Dr Julie [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in adverse events, child health, consumer health information, public health, quality and safety of health care, vaccination, vaccines | Tagged but less of a way. Here the solutions centre on ensuring vaccines are easy to have with more upstream solutions like incentives, call for a more timely and coordinated approach to vaccine safety surveillance systems in Australia. http://immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/adverse-event They arise out, dated March 10, diphtheria, he stresses its existing ability to ultimately detect a problem and act on it. The Horvath review is a positive step towards improving things. However, hepatitis B, identifies a number of areas for action, incuding the need for some systems-based approaches to promoting vaccination. http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/people/academics/profiles/juliel3.php Julie Leask Senior Lecturer, into the management of adverse effects associated with Panvax and Fluvax, John Horvath, measles, measles and HIV vaccination. When we think of vaccines it’s often in terms of the highly polarised debates over their safety. The problems with vaccine uptake are spoken of in terms of what people thi, mumps, Professor John Horvath, rather than how health systems and policies support people. Addressing the latter has much more of an impact on vaccination than trying to change what individuals think. http://www.thecommunityguide.o, reminder systems and flexible clinic times. These are things governments can address more readily. For most parents, rotavirus and Hib disease along with a number of other diseases. However, rubella, Senior Lecturer in the Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School, tetanus, The investigation by the Australian Government’s former chief medical officer, the need for improvements in timeliness and communication have been recognised for some time. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/cda-cdi3003-pdf-cnt.htm/$FILE/cdi3003l.pdf ., the recent events will provide the impetus to put recommendations into action. Then we can tackle the complex question of how Australia compensates the very, the safest and most effective vaccines are of little use if the public don’t take them up. So countries should invest in the research and actions that help maintain high uptake of vaccine programs. A , University of Sydney http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/people/academics/profiles/juliel3.php As vaccines continue to achieve their success, vaccinating a child is an automatic process. But a few – up to 20% want to consider things a bit beforehand. They tend to have tertiary education and usually vaccinate but might delay or refuse a stig, vaccines can sometimes cause rare but serious side effects. Governments should be able to reassure the public that there is a robust and efficient system for detecting and responding to signals. The f, very small number who have been seriously affected by a vaccine. Certainly many in the immunisation community support the call for such a system. http://www.phaa.net.au/documents/100824ImmunisationCon, was released yesterday. http://immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/adverse-event It coincides with a special theme issue on vaccination in the journal Nature http://www.nat, we continue to see some vaccine opponent groups like the Australian Vaccination Network hijack debates with their radical claims and eclipse the opportunity for a legitimate public discussion about im, we increasingly see their risks take centre stage and many are concerned about an erosion of public confidence. This week’s edition of Nature http://www.nature.com/news/specials/vaccines/index.html#ed, what later turned out to be one brand’s vaccine (link Croakey). The criticisms largely revolved around the timing and flow of communication between the governments and agencies involved but also commu, who contributed to the Nature series, whooping cough | Comments (3)

How can social media help improve palliative care: any suggestions?

May 25, 2011 – 3:55 pm

Palliative Care Australia – which has been active in the news this week – is holding a forum tomorrow at Parliament House in Canberra, as part of its efforts to develop a national consensus statement on palliative care. Issues on the agenda include: a need to integrate palliative care into the broader health and aged [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in Media-related issues, palliative care | Tagged advanced care planning, death, dying, end of life, palliative care, social media | Comments (5)

A pointed message to College of Physicians on climate change and health

May 25, 2011 – 11:43 am

At the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) conference in Darwin today, there is due to be an update from the Climate Change Working Group. Professor Tony Capon, who resigned as chair of the group in protest at a recent College statement on climate change, is due to chair the session (his resignation is due [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in climate change, environmental health, public health | Tagged climate change, public health, RACP, Royal Australasian College of Physicians | Comments (2)