Category Archives: disasters

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 [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in aged care, climate change, 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)

What we can learn from large-scale disasters about responding effectively to homelessness

February 13, 2012 – 4:57 pm

The previous Croakey post looked at how the response to homelessness varies between Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin and according to whether it is framed as a health or a law and order issue. The article below, by Heather Holst from HomeGround Services, looks at what can be learnt from the unprecedented public and government response [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Health inequalities, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Community connections and social capital: especially important in times of disaster

February 1, 2012 – 8:59 pm

How well do you and your neighbours know each other? In the season of fires and floods, this is an important question, as research shows that well-connected communities do better at responding to and coping with disasters, according to public health researcher Professor Penny Hawe. In the article below, she explains why social capital is [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in mental health, rural and remote health, social determinants of health, trauma | Comments (2)

Climate change and rural health: a GP’s call for action, plus an update on recent studies

October 28, 2011 – 2:12 pm

Rural health issues are likely to be in the news thanks to a conference starting in Alice Springs today, hosted by the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). Perhaps any discussions about rural health should also be contemplating the impact of climate change – that’s the [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in climate change, environmental health, mental health, rural and remote health | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Some reading on vitamins, climate change, excessive cleanliness and a matter relating to bodies

June 9, 2011 – 8:33 pm

Continuing a series of regular updates of health and medical reading at The Conversation… Fron Jackson-Webb writes: Here are some our health and medical highlights from the past fortnight: A helping hand? Vitamins may be dangerous for cancer patients By Professor Ray Lowenthal, Professor of Oncology at The University of Tasmania Previously unthinkable questions about [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in aged care, cancer, climate change, complementary medicines, environmental health, legal issues, mental health, The Conversation | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

The Conversation: a new opportunity for health discussions

March 24, 2011 – 6:19 pm

Croakey contributors and readers – you now have another place to find in-depth discussion of public interest issues, including health and medical matters. Meet The Conversation, which is produced by a non profit company based in Melbourne and backed by the university and research sector (its partners are listed here). It is self-described as “an [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in climate change, conflicts of interest, Media-related issues, mental health, surgery, The Conversation | Tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

Why rural and remote health (and other) advocates need to get with Twitter

March 18, 2011 – 4:10 pm

At the national rural health conference in Perth this week, I gave two presentations. The first was about the opportunities that are rapidly emerging for under-served groups and issues (like rural and remote health) as a result of the digital revolution. A shift is occurring in the power relations between citizens and society’s most powerful [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Government 2.0, Media-related issues, public health, rural and remote health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Some useful resources re Japan, journalism and radiation

March 17, 2011 – 3:53 pm

Below are some resources that may be of interest/use in relation to the disaster in Japan, including advice for journalists, fact sheets on radiation and risk perception more broadly, and some historical context from the Three Mile Island accident of 1979. *** From the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma • Gavin Rees, a journalist [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in environmental health, global health, Media-related issues, public health, trauma | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Recovering from disasters: one GP’s journey after the Victorian bushfires

March 10, 2011 – 11:21 am

In the aftermath of the terrible disasters that have struck our region this summer, what can we learn from the recovery of those affected by previous traumas? Dr Lachlan Fraser, a Victorian GP who was hit hard by the 2009 bushfires, has recently written of his own journey of recovery. Two years on from disaster, [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in general practice, Media-related issues, mental health | Tagged , , | Comments (1)