Melissa Raven from PHC RIS provides this useful summary of a Canadian study into factors influencing access to health care. The paper stops short of recommending strategies to address its finding of reduced access for people from lower socio-economic groups but Croakey boldly suggests it makes a good case for a ‘low SES’ loading for [...]
READ MORESharp rise in youth homelessness shatters stereotypes
James Farrell, Lecturer in Law at Deakin University writes: The number of Australians who were homeless on census night increased by 17% to 105,237 in the five years to August 2011. When adjusted for population growth, the increase the increase is still worryingly high, at around 8%. It’s clear we need a stronger commitment to [...]
READ MOREMaking the needs of the homeless a priority for health services
When the Greater Metro South Brisbane Medicare Local decided to prioritise action on the social determinants of health, this led to an innovative partnership that has translated into much-needed services for homeless people. The project has shown both the high needs of this group of people, as well as the importance of collaborations, says Tam [...]
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How some children miss out from the start: will telling their stories help make a difference?
What is it like to grow up poor in Australia? We learnt something about this from a recent Four Corners program investigating the experiences and perspectives of children from the disadvantaged Sydney suburb of Claymore. The program made compelling and also upsetting viewing. The children’s focus was not so much on the material things that [...]
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Raising awareness of the health needs of homeless people
For one nursing leader, Debra Cerasa, the recent Vinnies CEO Sleepout was an opportunity for reflecting upon the importance of the social determinants of health, and the role of nurses in working with the homeless. Meanwhile, registrations are already being sought for next year’s Vinnies CEO Sleepout. *** Supporting better health for the homeless Debra [...]
READ MOREThe GFC and global health: why Australia needs to step up to the plate
The global financial crisis has hit promising work tackling the neglected diseases that affect the world’s poor, according to a new report. Australia could be doing more to assist, argues Mary Moran, Executive Director of Policy Cures, a not-for-profit which provides analysis and decision-making tools for those involved in creating new pharmaceuticals for neglected diseases. *** [...]
READ MOREEarly childhood trauma and long-term health
The New Yorker magazine ran an illuminating article earlier this year about the impact of traumatic childhoods upon long-term health, both physical and mental. The poverty clinic: can a stressful childhood make you a sick adult? profiled the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, which is billed as “perhaps the largest scientific research study of its [...]
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It’s time to refocus health debate on the issues that really matter
During the last four years of health reform debate, how many mainstream media articles did you see about the “social determinants of health”? Admittedly, no headline writer in their right minds would use such jargon but even so, we hear very little in mainstream debate about the powerful influence of social, economic, environmental and cultural [...]
READ MOREChallenging mainstream thinking about health and medicine
The international heavyweight of a social understanding of health, Sir Michael Marmot (who, ironically enough, also wears the cap of British Medical Association president), is currently visiting Australia for a World Medical Association meeting. In this ABC interview, he argues that doctors should become more involved in tackling health inequalities. You can also hear him [...]
READ MOREA dirty great wrap of recent public health news from Twitter
This post is for those who haven’t yet realised that Twitter is a fantastic source of public health news. And it’s also for those who might have realised this, but don’t have time for Twitter-trawling. Below are links to recent news and reports found via Twitter about: food tobacco control public health health policy the [...]
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