Category: Global health
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A One Health approach would help Australia prepare for Nipah virus
Muhammad Saiful Islam, Mohammad Akhtar Hussain, Peter Black, and Andrea Britton Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen from the same virus family as Hendra virus, already found in Australia, which is causing severe infectious disease in parts of the Indo-Pacific region. NiV was first identified during outbreaks of encephalitis in Malaysia and Singapore between October 1998 to June 1999 and was associated with a spillover of the virus from bats into pigs, and then humans. Although no further outbreaks have been reported in Malaysia and Singapore since, India, Bangladesh, and…
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WHO statement on notification of withdrawal of the United States
World Health Organization Note: This statement, published on 24 January 2026, is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish As a founding member of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States of America has contributed significantly to many of WHO’s greatest achievements, including the eradication of…
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Use a gender justice lens across all aspects of health, Lancet Commission urges
Connie Musolino and Kristen Foley More consistent understanding of gender as a social construct by people across the health sector can help lead to better policies and programs and, ideally, healthier, more equitable populations, authors of a Lancet Commission report say. Recognising why and how there’s been a…
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In the settler colonial state, how do we incorporate decolonisation into curriculum meaningfully and successfully?
Shayal Prasad and Penelope Smith with Gem Allinson, Holly Donaldson, Dr Kath Francis, Isabelle Haklar, Angela Semanda, and Kesang Thrinlek In the following piece, we use the terms First Nation Australians, Indigenous People and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander as per the PHAA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Guide to…
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Tips to manage an international research team for global impact
Professor Dr Muhammad Aziz Rahman Leading research beyond borders is rewarding in terms of global reach and impact, but requires careful team management for successful completion. The purpose of a research project is to generate new evidence that hopefully informs policy and practice. A research team consists of experts in…
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Public health campaigns beyond borders
Professor Muhammad Aziz Rahman In Australia and around the world, government, not-for-profit, and private organisations campaign to raise awareness for various public health issues. Specific days, weeks, or months are often used to commemorate or advance global health, like Movember, STEPtember, and World Heart Day. With hundreds of global health…
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An inside look at WHO’s annual Executive Board Meeting
Dr Fiona Robards As part of my sabbatical in Geneva, I attended the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board from 3 to 11 February 2025. The WHO Executive Board is a high-level body that implements decisions about WHO policies, planning, and funding, and advises the World Health Assembly. It…
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Public health can no longer fence-sit politically, says equity expert
PHAA Communications Commerce, economy, and trade directly touch on many aspects of public health and its regulation, and structure the broader socioeconomic conditions that shape human health and health equity. The upcoming PHAA and VicHealth Commerce, Economy, Trade and Public Health Conference will explore the complex relationship between these factors,…
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WHO Roadmap for public health workforce gathers speed
Adj Assoc Prof Priscilla Robinson and Hon Assoc Prof Leanne Coombe The fourth meeting of the World Health Organization Steering Committee (SC), which is overseeing the National Workforce Capacity to Deliver the Essential Public Health Functions Roadmap (the Roadmap), was held on 22-23 October 2024. The SC meeting was hosted…
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New global treaty to combat ‘biopiracy’ of traditional knowledge
Miri (Margaret) Raven, Alana Gall, Bibi Barba, Daniel Robinson Last week, at a conference in Geneva, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation agreed on a new treaty aimed at preventing the for-profit piracy of traditional knowledge. So-called “biopiracy”, in which companies lift ideas from traditional knowledge and patent…
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Decolonising public health: reclaiming Indigenous wisdom for an equitable future
Elisapeta Agnes Anitelea, Kesang Thrinlek, Tshering Denka, with support from Penelope Smith and Dr Alana Gall The historical legacy of colonisation has profoundly influenced global health paradigms. Indigenous communities and their leaders, who have been directly affected, are not passive recipients, but active agents in the decolonisation process. Their resilience…
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Robust Pandemic Agreement needed to ensure equitable access to medicines in future
Leanne Coombe and Hope de Rooy-Underhill The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic represented a “catastrophic failure of the international community in showing solidarity and equity.” Pharmaceutical companies, supported by high-income countries seeking to be first in the vaccine queue, fought to protect…
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Advocacy strategies for advancing health in all policies: what works for trade policymaking?
Dr Belinda Townsend, Australian Research Centre for Health Equity, Australian National University, Ms Brigitte Tenni, School of Psychology and Population Health, La Trobe University & Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne, Ms Sharni Goldman, Australian Research Centre for Health Equity, Australian National University & Associate Prof Deborah Gleeson,…
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Timor-Leste’s Institute of Public Health builds links with Australian partners
Malcolm Baalman, PHAA Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor This week the PHAA national office hosted Dr Merita Monteiro, foundation President of the newly created Timor-Leste (East Timor) National Institute of Public Health (Prezidente do Conselho Diretivo do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Pública de Timor-Leste, INSP-TL). (Photo from left: PHAA Senior…
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Ramadan Fasting: Opportunities for Public Health Professionals
Professor Muhammad Aziz Rahman The second most widely practised religion is Islam and there are over 1.7 billion Muslims globally which is about a quarter of the world population. In Australia, Muslims comprise about 2.3% of the population, or around 650,000 people. Practising Muslims observe the holy month of fasting…
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Aotearoa provides guidance on the next phase of tobacco control measures in Australia: more of the same is not enough
Dr Raglan Maddox, Catherine Manning, Prof Raymond Lovett, Assoc Prof Lisa Whop, Selah Hart, Dr Michelle Kennedy, Assoc Prof El-Shadan Tautolo, Shane Kawenata Bradbrook, Prof Tom Calma AO and Anaru Waa What is Aotearoa/New Zealand doing? Māori in Aotearoa/New Zealand were among the first to call for a Tupeka Kore (tobacco…
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Honouring Adj Assoc Prof Priscilla Robinson for her decades of efforts to Public Health
Adj Prof Tarun Weeramanthri, President, PHAA Adj Prof Terry Slevin, CEO, PHAA The President’s Award citation reads: “For outstanding contribution to the betterment and protection of public health in Australia”. It’s a fitting honour for Priscilla Robinson, who has been a long standing and active member of the PHAA and…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 1 December 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 24 November 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 17 November 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 10 November 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 3 November 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 27 October 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 13 October 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 6 October 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 29 September 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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The CODE COVID-19 International Update, 22 September 2022
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, a London-based Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at La Trobe University, and an…
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One Health alliance strengthened as Tripartite partnership becomes Quadripartite
Melanie Parker and Andrea Britton As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, concerns grow for the important issues placed on the proverbial ‘backburner’, such as antimicrobial resistance. There are also concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic has further driven antimicrobial resistance, with a number of reasons postulated, including higher antibiotic use, infection prevention…
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Should ACDC go global?
Meru Sheel and Joel Negin The new government’s proposed Australian Centre for Disease Control (and Prevention) faces a daunting task coordinating across eight states and territories and providing national leadership. And yet, there is an important discussion required about adding a further, extremely complicated element of scope to the initiative:…
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Monkeypox in Australia: should you be worried? And who can get the vaccine?
Jaya Dantas, Curtin University On July 23, World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took the unprecedented step and declared the monkeypox outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” – the highest global alert level for a disease outbreak. Following this and with 45 cases in Australia, Chief Medical…