PHT June 2011_Jan 10 - UK Faculty of Public Health

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Tackling climate change across Europe CLIMATE change is already affecting population health and wellbeing across the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. The heatwave of 2003 triggered over 70,000 excess deaths in western Europe alone. By 2004 the modest warming that has occurred since the1970s was contributing to over 140,000 excess deaths globally each year. A European Regional Framework for Action to protect health from climate change was agreed at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Palma in 2010. The framework has five strategic objectives: n to ensure that all current and future mitigation and adaptation climate change measures, policies and strategies integrate health issues at all levels n to strengthen health, social and environmental systems and services to improve their capacity to prevent, prepare for and cope with climate change n to raise awareness to encourage healthy mitigation and adaptation policies in all sectors n to increase the health and environment sectors’ contribution to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions n to share best practices, research, data, information, technology and tools at all levels on climate change, environment and health. The Climate, Environment and Health Action Plan and Information System (CEHAPIS) project, jointly funded by WHO Europe and the European Commission from 2008-10, has identified a number of priority actions which the public health community can use to translate the framework into action. First, leading by example on sustainable development (e.g. ‘greening’ the health FUELING THE DEBATE: Chimneys in Copenhagen, Denmark sector), showing leadership in implementing climate change adaptation (e.g. adapting healthcare facilities) and raising awareness of individuals within the health sector workforce on how they can mitigate and adapt to climate change in their everyday working lives. Another key role is in making the case for change by highlighting the economic benefits of investing now in safeguarding health from the uncertain effects of climate change (e.g. the greater workforce productivity of a healthy population) and influencing public sector budget-holders and private industry to invest in programmes and products that benefit health and contribute to carbon reduction (e.g. supporting the public to make climate-friendly healthy eating choices). A third role is to advocate for evidencebased policy by highlighting the immediate co-benefits for health by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. active travel) and developing evidence to show how sustainable environments can protect health and reduce healthcare costs. And finally, as with everything we do in public health, embracing cross-sector working to pursue shared objectives (e.g. reducing inequalities) and ensuring that partnership-working is underpinned with measurable and verifiable progress. Bettina Menne Programme Manager Lucinda Saunders Specialty Registrar Jo Nurse Technical Officer Climate change, green health services and sustainable development programme WHO Regional Office for Europe News in brief School-nursing programme being finalised THE Department of Health is finalising details of a development programme for school nurses, says the Nursing Times. Following a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Primary Care and Public Health, DoH team leader for children and young people’s public health Richard Sangster said: “There is a vision of service being developed for school nursing which will build on work already taking place in health visiting.” We are not ready for a global health emergency, say flu experts THE world is not ready to deal with a lengthy public health emergency, a panel of international experts has said. The panel’s report on the World Health Organization’s handling of the 2009 outbreak of the H1N1 flu concludes that the world is “ill-prepared to respond to a severe influenza pandemic or to any similarly global, sustained and threatening public health emergency”. It found that health regulations adopted in 2005 by 194 nations were not being put into practice fast enough globally. Coffee ‘cuts prostate cancer risk’ A STUDY claims that coffee can help prevent prostate cancer. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health studied almost 48,000 men for 12 years, and found that drinking up to six cups of coffee a day lowered the risk of prostate cancer. They found no difference between regular and decaffeinated coffee. Elderly care costs could treble, says OECD THE cost of caring for the elderly could treble by 2050, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The body, which represents the most industrialised nations, estimates that 10% of people in OECD countries will be more than 80 years old by 2050. That is up from 4% in 2010 and less than 1% in 1950. Schools ‘should teach how to save a life’ A HEART charity is calling on the Government to include the teaching of lifesaving skills in the national curriculum. In a survey carried out by the British Heart Foundation, 73% of schoolchildren wanted to learn how to resuscitate someone and give first aid. More than 75% of teachers and parents also agreed it should be taught in schools. The survey questioned 2,000 parents, 1,000 children and 500 teachers. 16 PUBLIC HEALTH TODAY
ENDNOTES From the CEO WE ARE at this time experiencing a period of unprecedented change for both FPH and public health as a whole. Lindsey Davies has already covered the developments surrounding the white paper earlier in this edition – from an FPH internal perspective this has meant that we have had to work within a reducing forecast income, both from membership subscriptions but also in the availability of grants that FPH has enjoyed in recent years. As you may know, we are currently in the process of an internal restructure, which for any organisation is a time of great stress and anxiety. The Trustees, staff and officers have worked over the past months to ensure that FPH (and the future Royal College) are fit for purpose, sustainable and meet the core functions while operating within our charitable objectives. We were fortunate to secure the services of PricewaterhouseCoopers on a pro-bono basis to externalise the initial parts of the process and provide a comprehensive report to the Trustees at their meeting in May. Development and consultation has taken place since then with the help of the union Unite and FPH staff. As I write this, we are currently in the review period before releasing the agreed future structure of FPH. This will be followed by a programme of internal interviewing until the new structure is populated. I hope by the end of the summer that we have the new framework in place and have fully recruited for all the vacancies. It is hoped that the new operational It is hoped that the new operational structure will reduce costs by ‘around 20% structure will reduce costs by around 20% – this of course will mean new ways of working, and changes to what the membership may expect from FPH. As if this isn’t enough, we are also going through extensive renovation at Number 4 – new carpets, curtains and decoration. We have strived to maintain the level of support to members and the team at Number 4 have worked extremely hard during a period of great uncertainty. I do hope that I can ask for your patience and understanding during this period of change – something that I know many of you will be going through yourselves. Paul Scourfield Chief Executive Officer ‘ Food that’s too good to waste HARD evidence now shows that educating young people about the benefits of a healthy diet can change eating habits. The Food for Life Partnership aims to encourage pupils and their parents to eat healthy food and to learn how to cook it and grow it themselves. Some 3,600 schools have joined the scheme. But cuts to school meal budgets and a U-turn on cooking in the curriculum could have a dramatic effect on childhood obesity. Director Libby Grundy said: “Just as the programme looks as if it has reached the tipping point in terms of making a cultural shift, our good work could be undone.” FPH and the Food for Life Partnership are hosting a free conference on the subject in London on June 22. Speakers include schools minister Sarah Teather and the chair is The Food Programme’s Sheila Dillon. Email nmoseley@soilassociation.org or call 0117 987 4582 to book a place. In memoriam Dr Annette Rawson OBE FFCM 1930 – 2010 ANNETTE Rawson trained at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School (one of the first women to do so) and had just been appointed as the first female consultant physician at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham when she was struck down by a neurological illness which left her totally deaf. Instead she became a civil servant at the Department of Health & Social Security, rising to Senior Medical Officer with lead responsibility for developing and coordinating services for people with disabilities. In 1973 she produced a seminal report, Deafness: Report of a Departmental Enquiry into the Promotion of Research, which helped to shape government policy for years to come. Dr Rawson was a founder member of the Faculty of Community Medicine (now FPH) and, as a keen champion of lipreading and lip-speaking, took an active part in the Faculty’s affairs. She was awarded the OBE in 1990. Deceased members The following members have also passed away: Dr JE Asvall Dr Derek Edward Cullington Dr Ian Hayes Fyfe Murray Dr Kenneth Michael Parry JUNE 2011 17
Page 1 and 2: In this issue > Interview with Grah
Page 3 and 4: UP FRONT Public Health in a Changin
Page 5 and 6: INTERVIEW not fire engines’ The b
Page 7 and 8: Predicting need in the early years
Page 9 and 10: SPECIAL FEATURE: EARLY INTERVENTION
Page 11 and 12: SPECIAL FEATURE: EARLY INTERVENTION
Page 13 and 14: Weighing the evidence - what actual
Page 15: How work can meet our core human ne
Page 19 and 20: Welcome to new FPH members We would

PHT June 2011_Jan 10 - UK Faculty of Public Health

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?