07 December 2014

Last news shared with the Social Determinants of Health Advocacy Network of Tasmania

Senate Select Committee on Health – Interim Report now available (we put in a submission and appeared before the Committee)


Joint Select Committee on Preventative Health Care – please submit
We prepared a submission to this Committee last time and will probably do so again. If you would like to contribute please get in touch. The deadline is Monday 16 February 2015. For the terms of reference and further information: http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/ctee/Joint/PHC1.htm


Southern Rethink Mental Health Project CSO Consultation
We invite you to the Southern Rethink Mental Health Project CSO Consultation. This consultation will be held on the 15 December 2014, 1pm – 3pm, Hockey Function Centre, 19 Bell Street, Newtown. (Please contact the Mental Health Council to find out about consultations in other parts of the state).

As you may be aware, the Rethink Mental Health Project is aimed at providing an independent analysis of the current mental health services being provided in Tasmania, and the gaps and barriers that exist within the sector. The information gathered in this analysis will guide future system reform and investment.

The questions that will be asked at the consultation, as well as a more detailed overview of the Rethink Mental Health Project, are in the Discussion paper -http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/173484/DP-2014-10-10_Final.pdf . We would appreciate your consideration of this document prior to the meeting, keeping in mind that not all areas will be covered during consultation.  Participants will be provided with information on further involvement in the Project following the group consultation.

Please RSVP to Project2@mhct.org by the 12th December 2014. 

We hope to see many of you there.

Thanks and regards,

Jade Standaloft
Mental Health Council of Tasmania
P 03 6224 9222 | |W www.mhct.org


Recommendations towards a Global Convention to protect and promote healthy diets

This set of recommendations (available in English, Spanish or French) towards a Global Convention to protect and promote healthy diets has been developed to encourage policy makers to build on the work of the UN to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Ten years after the launch of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet Physical Activity and Health, no country has succeeded in significantly reversing the rising tide of obesity or diabetes. Cardiovascular diseases are rapidly increasing in many lower middle-income countries. Change is urgently needed.


The ‘wonderfulness’ of children’s feeding programs

Abstract:
When people involved in children’s feeding programs were asked to describe them, without exception they were described using phrases that reflected the perception of ‘wonderfulness’. This paper critically analyses the ‘wonderfulness’ of children’s feeding programs by examining the language used to describe these programs, and the features of a ‘wonderful’ program through an analysis of a multi-site, qualitative case study of nine diverse programs in Atlantic Canada. When participants justified their comments about the ‘wonderfulness’ of children’s feeding programs, they did so based upon five perceptions of program strengths: enhanced family coping; providing good food and nutrition; socializing and making friends; behaving well in school; and volunteerism. We suggest that programs can be designed to be innately ‘wonderful’ if they are community- and charity-based, support a noble cause such
as the elimination of child hunger, engage good people as donors and volunteers, and provide a direct service to children apart from their families. We challenge health promoters to beware of the ‘wonderful’ program; its ‘wonderfulness’ may actually be masking unintended negative impacts upon its participants.


The Politics of Poverty


Health at a Glance: Europe 2014
OECD, Published: 3 December 2014

Abstract
 This third edition of Health at a Glance: Europe presents a set of key indicators related to health status, determinants of health, health care resources and activities, quality of care, access to care, and health expenditure and financing in 35 European countries, including the 28 European Union member states, four candidate countries and three EFTA countries. The selection of indicators is based largely on the European Core Health Indicators (ECHI) shortlist, a set of indicators that has been developed to guide the reporting of health statistics in the European Union. This is complemented by additional indicators on quality of care, access to care and health expenditure, building on the OECD expertise in these areas. Compared with the previous edition, this third edition includes a greater number of ECHI indicators, reflecting progress in the availability of comparable data in the areas of non-medical determinants of health and access to care. It also includes a new chapter dedicated to access to care, including selected indicators on financial access, geographic access and timely access.

Read the full text:   click here


Health Inequalities and the 1% - Wolfson Annual Lecture 2014
The Wolfson Research Institute welcomed Professor Danny Dorling to deliver the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing's Annual Lecture 'Health Inequalities and the 1%' on Wednesday 19 November 2014.


Global Wage Report 2014/15 - Wages and income inequality
The 2014/15 edition examines the link between wages and inequality at the household level. It shows that wages constitute the largest single source of income for households with at least one member of working age in most countries and points to changes in wages and paid employment as key factors underlying recent trends in inequality. The report also considers wage gaps between certain groups, such as those between women and men, migrants and nationals, and workers in the informal and formal economy.

Inequality can be addressed through policies that affect wage distribution directly or indirectly, as well as through fiscal redistribution. However, increasing inequality in the labour market places a heavier burden on efforts to reduce inequality through taxes and transfers. The report thus emphasizes the need for combined policy action that includes minimum wages, strengthened collective bargaining, interventions to eliminate wage gaps, the promotion of paid employment and redistribution through taxes and transfers.


Resources, Principles, and the Practice of Health Equity
A compilation of training resources for community health care service providers in the Champlain region


Regional and Remote Australians face more health care barriers  
People living in outer regional or very remote areas of Australia were more likely to face barriers to accessing health care compared with people living in major cities.  Click here to read more.


Building a good life: the role of natural supports in recovery from mental illness
Anglicare Tasmania, Social Action Research Centre (SARC)

One in two Australians will experience mental illness at some point in their lives. Many, however, will live in recovery. This research explores the lived experience of people recovering from mental illness across Tasmania and asks them how natural supports helped them to reclaim their lives. Natural supports are those that typically occur in everyday life and include relationships with family, friends, peers and other social networks.

The Building a good life research identifies the range of natural supports used by people recovering from mental illness, explores the links between natural supports and social inclusion and recovery, and reviews how mental health service providers currently understand and experience their work in helping people make the most of natural supports.

To join the SARC mailing list & for more information about the work of SARC, look at the Anglicare website or contact sarc@anglicare-tas.org.au, phone (03) 6213 3567.


Croakey News...
Dear Croakey contributors

Just a quick note to let you know of some recent developments at Croakey.

• Dr Melissa Stoneham from the Public Health Advocacy Institute WA is calling for health professionals, and particularly Indigenous health professionals, to support a campaign re the threatened closure of remote communities. If you would like to add your signature to letters to politicians, please contact her at: m.stoneham@curtin.edu.au
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2014/11/30/indigenous-health-professionals-urged-to-support-campaign-against-closure-of-remote-indigenous-communities/

• The latest Health Wrap, by Kellie Bisset covers a wealth of health news, from local to national and global, including the Co-payment, Victorian election, Indigenous health, health reform and public health
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2014/12/02/the-health-wrap-copayment-confusion-vicvotes-overcoming-indigenous-disadvantage-making-systems-work-for-health/

• Don’t miss the latest column from The Koori Woman/Kelly Briggs – on why there were no surprises for her in the recent First Contact program on SBS
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2014/11/26/the-koori-woman-no-surprises-for-me-in-first-contact/

• You can download a copy of Marie McInerney’s indepth coverage of the recent Australian Indigenous Doctors Association conference in this interactive PDF
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qg1km0uoxlw5ztu/AIDA_Conf_2014.pdf?dl=0

• Thanks to all who contributed to Croakey’s recent G20 coverage, which is compiled here:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/?cat=1648

And finally, if you would like to support some improvements to the Croakey site while also knocking off the Christmas shopping and getting yourself some nifty public health T-shirts/mugs etc – please check out the new Croakey merchandise range at Redbubble (you can get the designs as T-shirts, pillow case covers, phone covers, cards, mugs etc)
http://www.redbubble.com/people/rocklilydesign/collections/341262-croakey

Many thanks to Ben Harris-Roxas, Tim Senior and Lesley Russell for suggesting the designs.

All the best
Melissa Sweet



*******************************************

This post has been compiled for the Social Determinants of Health Network in Tasmania.

The Network has been established to help people work together to leverage action on the Social Determinants of Health.

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, play and age. They are sometimes referred to as ‘the causes of the causes’ because they are the underlying reasons why people experience poor health.

For more information about the social determinants of health download the action sheets on the TasCOSS website: www.tascoss.org.au.

The vision of the Network is for All Tasmanians to have the opportunity to live a long, healthy life regardless of their income, education, employment, gender, sexuality, capabilities, cultural background, who they are or where they live.

Anyone who shares in this vision can join. It’s free of charge. To join please email your details to socialdeterminantsofhealthtas@gmail.com

The Network operates on a voluntary basis.

Please feel free to forward this to people who may be interested.


www.sdohan.blogspot.com                      Twitter: @SDOHTas

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