Almost 20 years ago, physician Dr Michael Gliksman was involved in research suggesting that socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood can have lifelong health consequences. Since then, a variety of studies have helped unpick some of the factors involved, and he says the implications for policy are now clear: “The evidence supports the view that income support [...]
READ MORE
International conference puts spotlight on corporate power as a health threat – and calls for Health in All Policies
Corporate power is one of the major barriers to improving global health, according to Dr Margaret Chan, the Director General of the World Health Organization. In a strong opening address last week to the 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion in Helsinki, Finland, Dr Chan also highlighted concerns about inequalities, between and within countries, which “are now greater [...]
READ MORE
Introducing The Health Wrap – a new Croakey feature by Kellie Bisset
I am delighted to introduce a new fortnightly feature at Croakey: The Health Wrap. It will link you into some of the interesting and important health news from the previous fortnight, including items covered at Croakey and elsewhere. Kellie Bisset, an experienced health and medical journalist/editor who is communications director at the Sax Institute (follow [...]
READ MORE
On the new COAG Reform Council reports: “health inequality is becoming ingrained…”
Australia’s health gaps – including those between rich and poor, between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and between the major cities and everywhere else – are starkly revealed in the latest reports from the COAG Reform Council: • Healthcare 2011-12: Comparing performance across Australia • Disability 2011-12: Comparing performance across Australia. The health report is being formally [...]
READ MOREA surprising lack of clarity around the definition of core primary health care services
“The implementation of primary health care (PHC) may well be one of the most significant systemic and ideological health reforms of modern times. Countries with stronger PHC systems have demonstrably more efficient, effective, and equitable health care. Primary health care can be considered a philosophy, an approach to the delivery and development of services and [...]
READ MORE
We should help, rather than stigmatise, vulnerable parents
It’s important to challenge those who seek to demonise parents who use alcohol and drugs as “bad parents”, according to Donna Ribton-Turner, Director Clinical Services at UnitingCare ReGen. Rather than scapegoating parents with alcohol and drug issues, they deserve appropriate support and care, she says. *** Stigmatising vulnerable families only makes things worse Donna Ribton-Turner [...]
READ MORE
Every year. One million babies. Die on the day they are born.
Unprecedented progress has been made in reducing maternal and child deaths around the world since 1990, according to a new report from Save the Children. Nonetheless, the statistics remain shocking. Of the three million babies who die each year in their first month of life, almost two-thirds are from just ten countries. Thanks to Joanne [...]
READ MOREIf the Feds wanted to use the Budget to improve population health….. (some out-of-the-box ideas)
If the Federal Government wanted to use the forthcoming Budget to boost population health, what would it do? Raise taxation generally (plus specific hikes for tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy foods), and remove subsidies on the use of fossil fuels. These are among the suggestions from Croakey contributors outlined in the post below. Contributors also said [...]
READ MORE
Health sector wish-lists: a pre-Budget round-up
With less than a week to go before the Federal Budget 2013, the leaks and rumours (and rumours about leaks) are increasing and speculation about possible new funding measures is mounting. The following analysis looks at the main items on the wish-lists of eight peak health groups and identifies key issues on which there is [...]
READ MORE
Some important questions about health policy and the federal election (aka your #qanda cheat sheet)
Health policy is up for debate this week thanks to ABC TV’s Q and A program, featuring Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek and the Opposition’s health spokesman Peter Dutton. You can pose a question online and see some of the other questions that have already been lodged, including: Large corporate organisations have become major players in [...]
READ MORE
