Author Archives: Melissa Sweet

Melissa Sweet is a freelance health journalist who moderates Crikey‘s health blog, Croakey, and prods members of the Crikey Health and Medical Panel to contribute articles to Crikey and Croakey.

She has been reporting on health and medicine for too long to mention, and is the author or co-author of various books. She has honorary appointments at the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, and at Notre Dame University’s School of Medicine, Sydney. Melissa is a founding board member of the Public Interest Journalism Foundation, based at Swinburne University, and has helped establish YouCommNews, a website to enable community commissioning and funding of stories.

Sounding the alarm over cutbacks to Qld organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health

May 21, 2012 – 6:28 pm

It seems that some high-need areas are being targeted for cuts by the new Queensland Government. The prison advocacy group Sisters Inside has been in the news over its concerns about the future of services to women inside Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre (TWCC) – most of whom are Indigenous. As the tweet below suggests, there are [...]

Posted in Health inequalities, HIV/AIDS, Indigenous health, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , | Comments (5)

What has social media got to do with blood transfusions, haematology and the like?

May 21, 2012 – 5:51 pm

How might social media help those working in haematology and blood transfusion services and research? This was one of the questions addressed at a recent Australian Red Cross Blood service meeting in Sydney by Carolyn Der Vartanian, Program Leader for the NSW Blood Watch program at the Clinical Excellence Commission. *** Scary new pathogens or a [...]

Posted in health and medical research, social media and healthcare, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Some developments and opportunities in health and the media

May 21, 2012 – 4:26 pm

Below are details of some opportunities and developments in media and health: • A US course that aims to help journalists and editors do a better job of reporting on medical research (I have been assured that Australian journalists are welcome to apply). • A call for applications for the 2012 Dart Center Ochberg Fellowships (Declaration: [...]

Posted in evidence-based issues, health and medical research, Media-related issues, rural and remote health | Comments (0)

Introducing a wealth of ideas for new online health-related publications

May 16, 2012 – 8:11 pm

Entrepreneurs and philanthropists take note: below are some terrific ideas for new health-related online publications. Croakey recently put out a call on behalf of the Public Interest Journalism Foundation for ideas for online publications covering health-related areas of need. One of the pitches will be developed during a session at the New News conference, which will [...]

Posted in aged care, climate change, disasters, evidence-based issues, Health inequalities, legal issues, Media-related issues, public health, rural and remote health, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare, women's health | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Is the post-budget “class warfare” discussion helpful for public health?

May 16, 2012 – 7:04 pm

Have the Coalition’s Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey done public health a favour (even if unintentionally) by putting the issue of class on the table for debate? Health economist Professor Gavin Mooney suggests in the article below that those with a concern for population health and health inequalities should not shy away from a class-based [...]

Posted in Federal Budget 2012-2013, Health inequalities, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

A local council takes on fast food: is this the future for improving public health?

May 16, 2012 – 6:17 pm

In case you missed it, there has been an interesting development for public health at Darebin in northern Melbourne – the local council is reportedly considering hiking rates for fast food chains. It’s part of a wider move in Victoria to improve public health through local government. In the article below, Jane Martin, Executive Manager of [...]

Posted in Food, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

When will policy catch up with the science on drug prohibition?

May 16, 2012 – 2:09 pm

The previous post examined some of the health implications of Victoria’s plans to build a new prison. In the article below, Dr Alex Wodak, President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, suggests that drug law reform offers a more effective and humane alternative to prison-building. *** Crime and drugs: get tough or get smart? The Victorian [...]

Posted in illicit drugs, legal issues, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

What are the health implications of building more prisons?

May 16, 2012 – 1:51 pm

Update, May 22: Extra material has been added at the bottom of this post about an assessment of the likely impact of a new correctional facility in Gatton, Queensland. *** Health journalists (and our audiences) might get better stories come budget time if we looked beyond the health department papers. That is one of the [...]

Posted in education, evidence-based issues, Federal Budget 2012-2013, health impact assessment, Health inequalities, Hospitals, illicit drugs, Indigenous health, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

A wrap of recent news on McDonald’s, marketing and health (and some parallel universes)

May 14, 2012 – 7:28 pm

When it comes to food and health, it seems that we are living in parallel universes. In one universe, there is a new report from The Institute of Medicine in the US, Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation, urging governments and decision makers (including those in the private sector) “to [...]

Posted in child health, Food, health and medical research, obesity, public health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Aged care reform: it needs careful monitoring (and adjustment, where necessary)

May 11, 2012 – 6:15 pm

This is the second in a series of analyses that will be cross-posted from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library analysing the health budget (the first looked at dental reform). (The Library will be updating its briefs across portfolios here). In the article below, Rebecca de Boer concludes that “careful monitoring, and re-adjustment where necessary” will be needed to ensure [...]

Posted in aged care, Federal Budget 2012-2013 | Tagged , | Comments (1)