Category Archives: National Preventive Health Agency

A red letter day for rural and remote health – provided these questions can be answered

April 27, 2012 – 1:15 pm

How will our two-speed economy constrain efforts to improve rural and remote health across the various states and territories? How can we get the balance right in rural and remote health policy between national uniformity and local flexibility and appropriateness? How can we ensure that the many agencies involved in addressing rural and remote health [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Health inequalities, health reform, Medicare Locals, rural and remote health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Why health promotion campaigns in rural and remote areas must be “fit for purpose”

April 24, 2012 – 12:37 pm

Partyline is billed as “The Newsletter of the National Rural Health Alliance” – but that seems a rather modest description for a publication whose coverage of rural health matters is generally broad and deep, while managing also to be a good read. It’s one not to miss, in other words. The article below is the March [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Indigenous health, public health, rural and remote health, tobacco control | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

If health service executives are embracing social media, what does it say?

February 21, 2012 – 11:23 am

(This is the first in a series of two posts looking at social media and health). Health service leaders are not famous for embracing engagement with the media or general public. This observation is not intended as any personal slight as the situation is the inevitable result of the systems they work in, and the expectations [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in aged care, health reform, prevention, social media and healthcare | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

What did Minister Roxon achieve? Some wins. But the ambulance is still parked below the cliff

January 20, 2012 – 12:29 pm

When asked to assess Nicola Roxon’s tenure as Health Minister, Croakey contributors gave varying responses (see here and here) late last year. However, there was fairly wide agreement that she will be best remembered for her achievements in public health, especially tobacco control, where she helped to make Australia a world-leader in passing legislation mandating [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, diabetes, general practice, health reform, Hospitals, mental health, plain packaging, public health, tobacco control | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)

The latest wrap of health and medical reading from The Conversation

December 23, 2011 – 9:05 am

Below is the final wrap for this year of health and medical reading at The Conversation. Thanks to Froncesca Jackson-Webb and Reema Rattan for compiling these wraps for Croakey readers. Vaccinations in the news in 2011 By Dr Julie Leask, National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance, a conjoint Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, childbirth and maternity services, Food, health and medical education, Health inequalities, Indigenous health, public health, TGA, The Conversation, tobacco control, vaccination | Comments (2)

An update on the state of health reform: the pros, the cons and the questions

December 19, 2011 – 10:50 am

What has health reform achieved so far? And what are some of the potential positives, negatives and uncertainties? Below is a handy update, first published at The Conversation. Jane Hall and Jonathan Karnon write: Health-care reform was one of the policy areas where much had been promised but little delivered by the start of 2011. [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in general practice, health financing and costs, health reform, Hospitals, Medicare Locals, primary health care | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Is Victoria the pace-setter in health promotion?

December 16, 2011 – 11:45 am

It’s just over three years since COAG announced The National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health (NPAPH), which is providing $872.1 million over six years from 2009-10, and is billed as the “largest investment ever made by an Australian Government in health promotion for healthy eating and physical activity”. These recent job advertisements, for health promotion [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in chronic diseases, evidence-based issues, Food, health reform, obesity, occupational health, prevention, public health, social determinants of health | Comments (0)

Is this “cappuccino-style” health reform? Marking an anniversary…

July 26, 2011 – 12:09 pm

Tomorrow marks the 2nd anniversary of the release of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s final report, A healthier future for all Australians. For those whose memories have suffered under the subsequent onslaught of related documents, the report told us that there was a “compelling” case for reform, and that this should have three [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in chronic diseases, general practice, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, Medicare Locals, primary health care, public health, quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , , | Comments (4)

Does Australia need a version of the Institute of Medicine?

June 15, 2011 – 10:32 am

Croakey has often been grateful for the work done by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in the US. The IOM, established in 1970 as the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, aims to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public, and “asks and answers the nation’s most pressing questions [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in adverse events, cancer, conflicts of interest, health literacy, infectious diseases, lesbian gay bisexual transgender issues, men's health, NHMRC, prevention, primary health care, public health, quality and safety of health care, rural and remote health, social determinants of health, Uncategorized, women's health | Comments (7)

Australia timid on tackling childhood obesity

January 17, 2011 – 7:26 pm

Australian governments have not had the guts to tackle junk food advertising and its contribution to childhood obesity, according to a new paper from the Parliamentary Library.  OK, those are not exactly the words used by the paper, Marketing obesity? Junk food, advertising and kids, but it’s certainly the impression that it leaves. Here’s the [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, health reform, Media-related issues, obesity, physical activity, prevention, public health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (9)