Improving first response to childhood burns in Uganda
Background:Globally, nearly 9 million injuries and ~180,000 deaths occur annually due to burns, with the majority occurring in low-and middle-income countries. Almost two-thirds of burn injuries occur in Africa and South-East Asia. Young children are disproportionally affected with under 5-year-olds in the African region having an incidence of burn deaths of over double the global rate. Burn injuries are particularly problematic in urban slum communities such as Kisenyi, where our recent work revealed an extremely high incidence (32%) of burns in children under the age of 5.Current first aid responses frequently involve home remedies such as applying cooking oil and sugar, eggs and other food materials, commercial creams, toothpaste, soap and traditional medicines including mixtures of urine, mud and cow dung. Yet best practice involves simply cooling the burn with water. Additionally, research shows carers are often reluctant to seek formal medical care – a key factor in poor outcomes for children with bur
Response to call for information on Nutrition Labelling - Health Star Rating and Nutrition Information Panel
Policy & Practice Report
Preparing for the future of the Health Star Rating (HSR) System
Policy & Practice Report
Investing in the prevention of chronic disease to increase productivity in the Australian economy: submission to the Economic Reform Roundtable
Policy & Practice Report
Improving health care outcomes through sex and gender policies in health and medical research
Background There is a long-standing assumption that medicine, and the research underpinning medical interventions, is sex and gender neutral, however there is a growing body of evidence describing sex and gender differences in disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and health outcomes. Despite this, much research continues to be done without taking sex and gender into account, leading to gaps in the evidence base informing our health care policy and practice
Aims To address gaps in the collection, analysis and reporting of sex and gender in health and medical research in Australia. To build capacity among researchers, scientists and clinicians, and drive change in this area
Method
The project involves three phases: Surveys, interviews, web-based searches; Development and evaluation of policy frameworks and training materials; and Health economic analysis.
Potential Impact Each stakeholder within the health and medical research sector in Australia encourages
RECALL-Pilot: REducing Cognitive decline and dementiA by Lowering bLood pressure Pilot
BackgroundDementia is a decline in thinking skills that affects our ability to conduct day-to-day activities. It is not a normal part of ageing however there is a greater risk of dementia as we age. There are currently around 472,000 people affected by dementia in Australia, which is predicted to double in the next 35 years.Studies have shown that high blood pressure increases the risk of dementia. Some studies suggest that medication to lower blood pressure might help reduce the risk of dementia but there is insufficient evidence for clear recommendations. The RECALL-Pilot trial aims to address this gap in the current body of research.AimTo encourage nationwide participation, RECALL-Pilot is trialling a new online approach to clinical trials, which will inform the future design of a larger clinical trial on dementia risk reduction.Research MethodologyThere are no face-to-face appointments in this study except for two blood tests – participants will carry out the rest of the pilot trial online from home.&nb
Why do we need to #SwitchTheSalt?
Why do we need to #SwitchTheSalt?
Almost everyone eats salt and almost everyone eats too much of it. Eating too much salt increases blood pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes and deaths. Despite the efforts by governments and medical organisations over the last decade to reduce population salt intakes, little progress has been made. This is because people have become accustomed to the taste and dietary habits are hard to change. Salt is also a widely used ingredient in food manufacturing, and progress towards lowering levels in packaged foods has been slow.
Find out more about our work to scale up the use of potassium-enriched salt across the global food supply.
What is potassium-enriched salt?
Potassium-enriched salt is a practical and scalable approach to lowering blood pressure and with it, the risk of strokes, heart attacks and death. Salt is made up of 100% sodium and chloride. A potassium-enriched salt, however, has some of the harmful sodium chloride replaced wi
Housing, home and health: Social housing and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in urban New South Wales
BackgroundHousing is a social and cultural determinant of health and wellbeing. Housing conditions, housing security and surrounding home environments all impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s wellbeing is supported by housing that meets their physical, social, emotional, cultural and locational needs. Living on Country and close to family and community support, as well as services, are critical factors in supporting wellbeing.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social housing tenants in urban Sydney are often faced with the experience of living in housing that does not meet their physical, social, emotional, cultural and locational needs. The meanings of home and desired outcomes of tenants are not necessarily known, understood or considered by social housing providers. Additionally, the social housing system is difficult to navigate in instances when tenants wish to address their housing needs, for example, requesting a repair or requesting a transfer
Call to Action: Public health experts call on the Australian government to show leadership at all levels to tackle chronic disease
Policy & Practice Report
Understanding the effects of extreme heat in pregnancy, the HiP-India project
Background
Pregnant women, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries, are among the most vulnerable populations to climate change. India has experienced a marked rise in the intensity, frequency, and duration of heatwaves over the last half-century, with 2022 and 2024 being the hottest years since 1901.
Extreme heat exposure has been linked to several adverse pregnancy outcomes, including:
Preterm birth
Stillbirth
Gestational diabetes
Small for gestational age babies
Preeclampsia
However, the biological mechanisms linking environmental heat to these outcomes remain poorly understood.
Aim
The Heat in Pregnancy – India (HiP-India) project is a multi-partner coalition of researchers across India and the UK seeking to understand why exposure to extreme heat leads to adverse birth outcomes. This Wellcome Trust-awarded project is a collaborative effort between the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI),
Participation in the Third WHO Infodemic Manager Training
Background
An infodemic according to the WHO is “an overabundance of information, both online and offline”, and typically accompanies outbreaks and pandemics e.g. COVID-19. Mis- and dis-information have wide ranging serious and adverse impacts on individuals, communities and health systems, and undermines public health responses to COVID-19.
The 3rd WHO IM training is aimed to address the critical and urgent global need to develop capacity in infodemic management interventions and practice to understand and mitigate the impact of infodemics in a timely manner.
Aim
The 3rd IM training is aimed to build capacity so that trainees will be able to apply their knowledge and skills gained in national preparedness and response to infodemics and support the development of networks for knowledge and resource exchange
The training will encompass global and region-specific topics in the infodemic and health misinformation
Research Methodology
The virtual tr
Comparison of removable off-loading device and routine care to heal plantar ulcers due to leprosy and diabetes in the community
Background
Plantar ulcers are a serious complication in leprosy and diabetes globally resulting in hospitalization, disability, and amputation. Continued pressure over the vulnerable site leads to ulcers and then impedes ulcer healing. Therefore, in addition to removal of infection off-loading the ulcer area is essential to heal the ulcer. The current proposed feasibility plus study is based on removable off-loading walker boot fitted with soft insole which can be easily applied with limited training and may allow the patient to continue their essential daily routine activities. We will test the feasibility and acceptability of using this device and set the scene for a potential trial to test the effectiveness of this device type in reducing ulcer development and ulcer complications in community setting.
Aim
To compare a removable pressure-relieving off-loading device with standard routine care for healing plantar ulcers due to leprosy and diabetes in the community.
Design