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HI Newsletter, Vol 4, Issue 6, sent 30 Nov 2007

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  Newsletter   Volume 4, Issue 6. November 2007.

Editorial

Welcome to the November 2007 edition of the HealthInsite newsletter, and a special welcome to any new subscribers! I'm reliably informed that we now have over 3,000 subscribers to our e-newsletter, which is a noteworthy achievement and suggests that people are finding the content useful and informative.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has released its fourth report on the comparative health of the people in its 30 member countries, including Australia, and it makes for interesting reading.

This edition will also focus on other breaking news, including the publishing of a new booklet on osteoarthritis by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting some 1.3 million Australians. AIDS Awareness Week commenced on 24 November and will culminate with World AIDS Day on December 1.

News Items

Health at a Glance 2007 - an OECD Report

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released its fourth report comparing key health indicators for its 30 member countries. Australian statistics for the report were supplied by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The OECD Media Release discusses some of the report statistics. In comparison with the other OECD countries for instance, the report shows Australia in fifth place for the lowest daily smoking rates by adults (17.7%), behind Sweden (15.9%), the USA (16.9%), Portugal (17.0%), and Canada (17.3%).

Conversely, Australia has the fifth highest adult obesity rate (21.7%), behind the United States (32.2%), Mexico (30.2%), the United Kingdom (23.0%), and Greece (21.9%). The AIHW media release outlines some additional statistics.

The OECD Health At A Glance report provides a fascinating insight into health indicators in OECD countries both in country comparisons as well as in trends in many of the indicators across time. The full version of the Health At A Glance report can be accessed freely at SourceOECD.

Osteoarthritis in Australia

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has issued a new booklet providing important information about osteoarthritis.

The booklet, A picture of osteoarthritis in Australia , has been written for anyone who wants to know more about the disease, and wa s produced in association with the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and Arthritis Australia.

Additional information about this report is in the AIHW Media Release.

HealthInsite has topic pages on Osteoarthritis and Treatments for Osteoarthritis.

AIDS Awareness Week - World AIDS Day (December 1)

AIDS Awareness Week begins on November 24 and culminates with World AIDS Day on December 1.

The aim of AIDS Awareness Week and World AIDS Day is to raise community awareness about HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), including the need to support and extend understanding to people with HIV/AIDS, and the need for ongoing education and prevention initiatives.

The theme for the 2007 Australian World AIDS Day campaign is HIV/AIDS: Prevention is everybody.s business. The theme was chosen to remind people that HIV/AIDS remains a serious disease for which there is still no cure, and that awareness and prevention remain the best defences against its spread.

Information about World AIDS Day in Australia including events, fact sheets, and services may be found at http://www.worldaidsday.org.au/.

Information on International World AIDS Day events may be found at the World AIDS Campaign web site.

Additional information on AIDS internationally may be found at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS UNAIDS.

HealthInsite has topic pages on AIDS and HIV including Prevention of HIV and AIDS and Treatments for HIV and AIDS.
In this Issue:

Your Feedback

Babycino - A Therapy

A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, stated that more than 200 of Victoria's very premature babies have been having tiny drinks of caffeine to reduce their chances of cerebral palsy and cognitive disabilities.

The report noted that caffeine was the first treatment ever shown to reduce disabilities common in severely premature babies. Very premature babies tend to forget to breath and drop their oxygen and heart rates, but if given caffeine, they have far fewer of those pauses and the time they need on a ventilator is reduced.

The babies from the Royal Women's and Mercy Women's hospitals took part in a five-year trial involving more than 2000 pre-term births in Australia, the US, Canada, Europe and Israel. The baby.s chance of death or disability drops 6% when having caffeine.

The results of the trial have been so successful that daily doses of caffeine are now routine treatment for Victorian babies as tiny as 500g, mixed with milk or given through an intravenous drip.

Information Partners

Our newest Information Partner, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, joined the HealthInsite family this month and we're including some information about the Commission below. We would also encourage you to explore their substantial online resources.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare was established in January 2006, and is funded by the Australian, State and Territory Governments to develop a national strategy framework and associated work program that will guide its efforts in improving safety and quality across the health care system in Australia.
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Hot Tip
Rapid meningococcal test

Rapid meningococcal test to save lives

RMIT University and Nanotechnology Victoria have developed the world.s fastest test for identifying the potentially fatal meningococcal disease. The disease is fatal in around 10% of cases within 12 hours and about 20% of those afflicted will have permanent disabilities. Current tests can take up to two days, but the rapid test developed means results will eventually be obtained in less than 15 minutes . saving crucial time and lives. It is hoped the device will be available within two to three years. For more information on the testing device go to http://www.nanovic.com.au/?a=news.news&p=51&id=440.

What is meningococcal?

Better Health Channel has written a fact sheet about meningococcal disease, which it identifies as an acute bacterial infection that can develop very quickly and can be fatal in about 10% of cases, if not recognised and treated in time.

Meningococci bacteria live naturally in the back of the nose and throat in about 10% of the population without causing illness. In a small number of people, a particular strain of the bacteria gets through the lining of the throat, enters the bloodstream and causes invasive meningococcal disease.

The fact sheet can be found at: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Meningococcal_disease.

Symptoms of meningococcal

Symptoms may include a severe headache, fever, fatigue, stiff or painful neck, sensitivity to light or convulsions.

The infection is often difficult to identify because of the wide range of possible symptoms. If you suspect meningococcal disease, seek medical help immediately.

Latest Resources

The HealthInsite team regularly adds new items to the database including new information partners, new topic pages and news items. Why not take a look at the list of new and updated material added to the database in the past months, but again the list will be quite extensive!

What's in the Next Edition?

The next edition is due out in December and will once again focus on current and topical issues. But for now, that's it from all of us here at HealthInsite!

Cheers, Bryn (aka The Editor)

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