Skip to content
Intouch Public Health

Intouch Public Health

advocating for the health and wellbeing of all Australians

  • Home
  • Contribute
  • About
  • Contact

Welcome to 2021 – a year of more uncertainty, but with cause for hope

Terry Slevin, PHAA CEO Here’s hoping that, as you read this, you retain some of the reinvigorating glow of a…

National Preventive Health Strategy, NPHS

Australia’s national COVID-19 vaccination strategy is reasonable and fair

Dr Tarun Weeramanthri, President, Public Health Association of Australia Vaccination is a key element of Australia’s COVID-19 strategy for 2021.…

vaccine

COVID results in dramatic rises in stress levels according to survey

PHAA Australasian COVID-19 Virtual Conference In December 2020, the PHAA co-convened a special edition virtual conference with the theme: Preventing,…

Adolescent mental health issues rise during COVID-19

PHAA Australasian COVID-19 Virtual Conference In December 2020, the PHAA co-convened a special edition virtual conference with the theme: Preventing,…

Quarantine versus isolation – what’s the difference?

The following is a thread published on Twitter on 10 January 2021 by the Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.…

A message to our public health workers in 2020

Terry Slevin Emotionally charged, fraught, threatening, unsettling and filled with uncertainty. 2020 is finishing like it started. In January it…

Covid, travel chaos and preventing carnage in WA

Terry Slevin Another outbreak, borders closing, family Christmas ruined; like many people, I’m angry and upset. Like tens of thousands…

Updated guidelines for low-risk drinking provide new opportunity to inform and empower Australians

Julia Stafford The wait is over. Last week the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released the updated guidelines…

alcohol guidelines, nhmrc

Nearly 10 years on, the mental health scars of the 2010 Christchurch earthquake slowly heal

This article is based on an original article in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, authored by…

Christchurch earthquake, natural disaster, New Zealand

Addressing weight stigma in public health practice

Kristy Law and Dr Claire Pulker It’s time to change the way we talk about obesity. As public health professionals…

health communication

Climate change and health heats up

Ingrid Johnston The connections between climate and health, and the importance of systemic changes in Australia to recognise and address…

bushfires, heatwaves, lancet countdown, western australia

Australia urged to support proposal to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 medical products

Deborah Gleeson, Belinda Townsend and David Legge Australian officials will meet with other governments at the World Trade Organization this…

intellectual property

WA must take urgent action towards health impacts of climate change

Tarun Weeramanthri ‘Climate change is the defining issue of our time – and we are at a defining moment’ –…

Climate Health WA Inquiry

Victorian state budget a mixed affair for public health

Anna Nicholson The 2020-21 Victorian state budget is a mixed affair for public health. There is much to congratulate the…

VIC Budget

Preventive approaches needed to improve child and youth health and wellbeing

Tracey Oorschot and Jane Frawley Child, youth, Indigenous and social policy advocates have campaigned for improved health and wellbeing of…

CDC, NPHS

Hazardous drinking in Australia: 10-year study reveals positive trend but still a long way to go

Australia’s drinking culture is well documented. As we prepare for a warm weekend with summer fast approaching, millions of Australians…

Study finds patterns of psychological distress, alcohol use and social disconnect among Australian mineworkers

Mental disorders, including mood, anxiety and substance use, are extensive throughout the world with one in three affected by such…

ANZJPH

Facing Unprecedented Challenges: lessons from the 2020 Australian Public Health Conference

Jeremy Hunt At this point, unprecedented doesn’t quite do 2020 justice. Throughout the year governments and organisations have had to…

Exponential growth in COVID cases would overwhelm any state’s contact tracing. Australia needs an automated system

C Raina MacIntyre, UNSW The people at highest risk of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are…

contact tracing, Finkel review

Food security during COVID a critical challenge for remote Indigenous communities

NAIDOC Week 2020 – ‘Always was, always will be’ To celebrate NAIDOC Week 2020, the Public Health Association of Australia…

food security

Ensuring COVID-19 information is culturally appropriate

NAIDOC Week 2020 ‘Always was, always will be’ To celebrate NAIDOC Week 2020, the Public Health Association of Australia is…

WellMob portal provides a one-stop-shop for COVID-safe information

NAIDOC Week 2020 ‘Always was, always will be’ To celebrate NAIDOC Week 2020, the Public Health Association of Australia is…

NAIDOC

Congratulations to the ACT for committing to Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility

Ingrid Johnston and Michael Doyle   Recently the PHAA was pleased to join with the Raise the Age Coalition in…

Raise the age

COVID-19 results in new ways of working with Indigenous young people in remote communities

NAIDOC Week 2020 – ‘Always was, always will be’ To celebrate NAIDOC Week 2020, the Public Health Association of Australia…

NAIDOC
national reconciliation week. Image of Summer Finlay

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allies start with the basics; correct terminology.

Dr Summer May Finlay   If you can’t get the simple things right, how can we trust you to get…

NAIDOC, terminology

More Deadly News: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tobacco use continues to go down

NAIDOC Week 2020 Raglan Maddox, Katherine A. Thurber, Tom Calma, Glen Benton, Emily Banks, Raymond Lovett Smoking is a leading…

NAIDOC, NAIDOC week

COVID-19 healthcare response in NSW: a success story

Australian Public Health Conference 2020 Introduction: It’s being dubbed Australia’s coronavirus success story – open borders, open businesses, slow infection…

Nuclear weapons – always inhumane and unacceptable, now illegal

Tilman Ruff On Saturday 24 October, the number of nations ratifying the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear…

ICAN, nuclear weapons, treaty

The public health success of preventing iodine deficiency

Kim Jose At the recent AGM of the PHAA Judy Seal was awarded a President’s Award by David Templeman for…

Iodine, pregnancy

Public Health in Queensland – a state election wrap

Paige Preston and Letitia Del Fabbro #QldVotesHealth #5percentforprevention #Qldvotes With only a few days left before the October 31st Queensland…

Prevention, QLD election

Health communication for policy change and better patient care

Australian Public Health Conference 2020 Plenary Session 5 – Health Communication Keynote speakers: Danielle Wood, Chief Health Officer, Grattan Institute…

disability, health communication, policy advocacy

Does anyone really believe we are going to avert a climate catastrophe?

Peter Sainsbury   It might be easy, even for someone who follows the scientific evidence about climate change, to think…

capitalism, climate collapse

How do we improve public health messaging during periods of bushfire smoke and poor air quality?

Australian Public Health Conference 2020 Workshop Friday 23 October Topic: How do we improve public health messaging during periods of…

air quality, bushfires

Studies reveal the other health impacts of COVID-19

Australian Public Health Conference 2020   Since the first COVID-19 cases in Australia were announced in January this year much…

The pressure cooker environment – preventing the next pandemic

Andrea Britton   Australian Public Health Conference 2020 One Health SIG webinar: The pressure cooker environment – preventing the next…

zoonotic disease

Bushfire catastrophe provides evidence climate change is real and impacting our lives

Australian Public Health Conference 2020 Plenary 2: Planetary and Climate Health Panelists Ms Amanda McKenzie, CEO, Climate Council Professor Peter…

bushfires, planetary health

Self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is working during COVID-19 crisis

Australian Public Health Conference 2020 Plenary 1 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Facilitator – Summer May Finlay, Vice…

AUSTPH2020, Uluru Statement

100 days of lockdown. Is Melbourne facing its final COVID countdown?

Terry Slevin   I don’t know if Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is a gambler. I assume he might have a…

Melbourne, Victoria lockdown

Upcoming elections are in the gun lobby sights

Stephen Bendle   The Public Health Association Australia (PHAA) is a founding member of the Australian Gun Safety Alliance (AGSA)…

AGSA, election, gun safety, lobbying, NFA

A disappointing week, but signs we are at least facing in the right direction

Terry Slevin, CEO of the PHAA   The Australian Government Budget for 2020-21 was finally released last week, after a…

Budget, Budget 2020-21, Prevention

Posts navigation

Older posts

Follow Intouch Public Health via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.