Anna Nicholson and Bronwyn Carter Victorians have faced another rough week. For many in public health, our early optimism … More
Category: Coronavirus
Mental health and adaptation to climate change
Dr Fiona Robards, Co-Convenor Mental Health Special Interest Group, PHAA Climate change presents an existential threat. It is almost unbelievable … More
The false dichotomy of public health and the economy
Louisa Gordon Six months into the COVID-19 crisis and Australia is faring well on a global scale. Contributing factors … More
Blame and COVID-19?
We remain in the midst of the world’s worst health crisis in a century. Millions of cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed around the world and hundreds of thousands of deaths have ensued. So, who should we blame? Well, I think a more important question is, where does blame get us?
COVID-19 policy responses show why political literacy is a public health issue
The adage “never discuss politics or religion” is invariably proffered to us with well-meaning intent at some point during our life. If anything, when it comes to public health issues, we need to be discussing politics more, not less, and certainly not avoiding it altogether.
Standing against the slide to fascism: what can public health do now?
It is said that democracy is a frail flower in need of constant nurturing. Having decried our slip toward fascism (in Croakey and the Public Health Association of Australia blog) I thought it useful to think about actions the public health movement might take to stand up for democracy.
Black Lives Matter protests should proceed – safely
Two hugely important public health objectives – Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 have been framed as competing imperatives. They are not. The Black Lives Matter movement in Australia seeks to highlight the deplorable circumstances of disadvantage and discrimination experienced by Australia’s First people.
COVID in Australia – how have we done and where to from here?
Australia’s response to COVID-19 so far, has been one of the better examples globally: consistently led by medical and scientific advice. It was bipartisan, cooperative and decisive. Yet, this success has come at significant costs.
Coordinating a response to bushfire and climate change crisis
By David Templeman, former Director General of Emergency Management Australia and President of the Public Health Association Australia As states … More
“As Australia slips toward fascism, where does the public health community stand?”
The fires, floods and COVID-19 pandemic have shown the fragility of industrial civilisation and the strength and resilience of people and community.
As coronavirus restrictions ease, here’s how you can navigate public transport as safely as possible
As coronavirus restrictions continue to ease, one of the key challenges we face is how to deal with people moving around a lot more.
The positives and negatives of mass testing for coronavirus
Many jurisdictions around the world are now testing people without symptoms as part of efforts to manage COVID-19. In Victoria, asymptomatic health-care workers have been part of the recent “testing blitz”.
7 questions answered on how to socialise safely as coronavirus restrictions ease
You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief as coronavirus restrictions are eased across Australia.
A business focused National COVID-19 Coordination Commission is not enough
The recently created National COVID-19 Coordination Commission has been set up to advise on all non-health aspects on the pandemic. But there are serious concerns about its scope, membership and authority.
COVID-19 fuels global health tensions
As of 10 May over four million COVID-19 cases had been reported worldwide, with 280,000 confirmed deaths. The pandemic has highlighted the need for strong national health systems and regional infectious disease monitoring.
Contact tracing apps are vital tools in the fight against coronavirus. But who decides how they work?
Last week the head of Australia’s Digital Transformation Agency, Randall Brugeaud, told a Senate committee hearing an updated version of Australia’s COVIDSafe contact-tracing app would soon be released. That’s because the current version doesn’t work properly on Apple phones.
Navigating COVID-19 social distancing rules for Aboriginal people
Social distancing is largely self-regulated, with people generally doing the right thing on their own. The police are enforcing these important public health guidelines, notably in public places. But are police enforcing restrictions equally, without any racial discrimination?
Getting to the causes: Mental health and making real productivity gains post COVID
For many of us, forced to work at home or to not work at all, the COVID-19 crisis has driven home the importance of mental health and how work interacts with our sense of wellbeing.
The earth is breathing easier
Major cities and their birds are breathing easier. Across China, smog has given way to the colour blue. Even the snow-capped Himalayas are visible from parts of Northern India for the first time in local’s memories.
Chronic disease, health equity and COVID-19
One in two Australians has a chronic disease or condition such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease or cancer. Chronic disease is driven – and made worse – by social and economic inequities; disadvantaged communities and groups experience higher rates of chronic disease and poorer health outcomes
6 countries, 6 curves: how nations that moved fast against COVID-19 avoided disaster
To understand the spread of COVID-19, the pandemic is more usefully viewed as a series of distinct local epidemics. The way the virus has spread in different countries, and even in particular states or regions within them, has been quite varied.
Contact tracing app – a tool for ending the COVID pandemic
Imagine you have just been told you have COVID-19. We know this is infectious, so the chances are, you may well have given it to others already.
Now is not the time to cut funds to the WHO
Now is not the time to cut funding to the world’s leading public health support agency.
Three simple things Australia should do to secure access to treatments, vaccines, tests and devices during the coronavirus crisis
Patents and related intellectual property rights can present formidable barriers to procuring medicines, vaccines, diagnostic tests and medical devices.
The public health discipline after Covid-19
The Coronavirus pandemic draws our attention to the importance of public health in maintaining global human health
The surprising positives about COVID
As the extraordinary health toll mounts around the world it might seem perverse to be talking about the positive impacts of the pandemic crisis that has changed our lives.
Reflections on how COVID has changed the world
The world has changed. Few people on the planet could have remained unaffected by the events of the first three months of 2020.
COVID and cruise ships
The features of cruises and cruise ships, closed environments, close contact between travellers from many countries, and the transfer of crew (and sometimes passengers) between ships, mean that cruise ships are a susceptible to the spread of infectious diseases.
Coronavirus with a baby: what you need to know to prepare and respond
If you have a baby, you may be worried about them catching the coronavirus, particularly after media reports of an Australian infant diagnosed with it.
Coronavirus distancing measures are confusing. Here are 3 things to ask yourself before you see someone
If the flurry of new orders released in the last 24 hours has you feeling confused about what’s OK and what’s not when it comes to social contact, you’re not alone