Q85 Medical and Other Health Care Services

WA scientist warns to stop Ebola now

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Original article by Cathy O’Leary
The West Australian – Page: 30 : 31-Oct-14

Western Australian microbiologist Tim Inglis has urged health authorities to take immediate action to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. He says developed countries such as Australia will be at a much greater risk from the virus in six months’ time, as it is likely to mutate and spread beyond African countries. Professor Inglis says Australian medical teams and mobile molecular laboratories should be sent to Africa as soon as possible

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, FLINDERS UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN ARMY RESERVE

Smoking ban on Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly beaches

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Original article by Lisa Visentin
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 15 : 30-Oct-14

Randwick Council in Sydney has passed a motion that will declare 10 beaches smoke-free, to provide health as well as environmental benefits as discarded cigarette butts should cease to be a problem. The New South Wales Smoke-Free Environment Act covers recreational areas such as swimming pools or playgrounds but not beaches. Among the popular beaches now to become smoke-free are Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly

CORPORATES
RANDWICK COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Test for Alzheimer’s gives early warning

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Original article by Kate Hagan
The Age – Page: 13 : 29-Oct-14

A new study published in the "Molecular Psychiatry" journal shows that scientists at the University of Melbourne have developed a new advance test for Alzheimer’s disease. They found that looking at micro ribonucleic acid in blood samples allows doctors to identify individuals with a certain genetic signature, which indicates they either already have the disease or are likely to develop it later in life. Further trials will be conducted, but at present the success rate of the test is 91%. Early diagnosis is crucial for Alzheimer’s as there is no cure available

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, KING’S COLLEGE LONDON

Stress compensation claims surge

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Original article by Nick Toscano
The Age – Page: 6 : 22-Oct-14

Victorian WorkCover Authority figures show that while the number of claims for musculoskeletal complaints and for major sprains and strains has remained largely static since 2008-09, that of psychological injury claims has risen dramatically. They are now the third-largest category of workplace injuries, and the average payout for them has also increased from $A73,000 in 2008-09 to close to $A90,000 in 2013-14. Kate Carnell, ex-CEO of mental health group beyondblue and now CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, says more needs to be done by employers to tackle job stress early on

CORPORATES
VICTORIAN WORKCOVER AUTHORITY, BEYOND BLUE LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

WA plan allows use of dead man’s sperm

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Original article by Kate Emery
The West Australian – Page: 7 : 21-Oct-14

The Western Australian Government plans to introduce reforms which will allow sperm to be used posthumously to enable a dead man’s partner to conceive. However, Health Minister Kim Hames has indicated that use of harvested sperm will only be permitted if the man gave permission to do so before his death. New South Wales and Victoria already have laws governing the use of sperm after death

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIAN REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

Ambulance told to release response data

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Original article by Kate Hagan
The Age – Page: 10 : 21-Oct-14

Victorian Freedom of Information Commissioner Lynne Bertolini has sided with the Ambulance Employees Australia union, and ruled that Ambulance Victoria should make public data on its response times for patients suffering heart attacks. An appeal to the Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal is possible, and the deadline of 60 days means that the information will likely not become available until after the November 2014 state election

CORPORATES
AMBULANCE VICTORIA FIRST AID, AMBULANCE EMPLOYEES AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. OFFICE OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER, VICTORIA. AUDITOR-GENERAL’S OFFICE, VICTORIA. CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL

Time catches up with women who started smoking in 80s

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Original article by Harriet Alexander
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 5 : 17-Oct-14

Lung cancer rates are rising in Australia, particularly among women. David Currow, CEO of the Cancer Institute of New South Wales, explains that there is a 30-year lag between smoking rates and lung cancer rates. The current rise in lung cancer rates reflects an increase in the number of smokers in the early 1980s. At that time, women started to smoke in significant numbers

CORPORATES
CANCER INSTITUTE NSW

Ambulances miss urgent cases target

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Original article by Kate Hagan
The Age – Page: 2 : 16-Oct-14

State Parliament on 15 October 2014 heard of the latest performance data for Ambulance Victoria. It had 321,839 code-one emergency call-outs during 2013-14 and responded to 73.7% of these within a quarter of an hour. The target is 85%, and in 2009-10 the most recent high was 80.7%. The organisation blames the more complex health problems of an ageing population, saying paramedics are now spending more time on each case. Health Minister David Davis noted that the figure was up from 73% in 2012-13, while Ambulance Employees Australia state secretary Steve McGhie criticised the Government

CORPORATES
AMBULANCE VICTORIA FIRST AID, AMBULANCE EMPLOYEES AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, VICTORIA. AUDITOR-GENERAL’S OFFICE

Sport makes some unhealthy choices

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Original article by Harriet Alexander
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 2 : 16-Oct-14

Rona Macniven of the University of Sydney released a new survey at the Sports Medicine Australia congress on 15 October 2014. It shows that sporting bodies derive a substantial share of their sponsorship revenue from deals with companies that sell products deemed unhealthy. Fast food, alcohol and gambling account for 27% of the sponsorships in cricket, with rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules and soccer ranked next. Fast food chain McDonald’s has launched a new Western Sydney Wanderers meal, to be sold in 88 outlets across the soccer club’s catchment area in western Sydney

CORPORATES
McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS FC PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION, SPORTS MEDICINE AUSTRALIA, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, KFC, YUM! RESTAURANTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BET365 GROUP LIMITED, NESTLE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CARLTON UNITED BREWERS, FOSTER’S GROUP LIMITED, SABMILLER PLC

CSL looks to purify Ebola victim antibodies

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Original article by Pia Akerman
The Australian – Page: 21 : 16-Oct-14

John Shine, chair of Australian-listed biotechnology group CSL, addressed its AGM on 15 October 2014. He said the company was in talks with the World Health Organisation on a potential push to create new drugs for the fight against the Ebola virus. However there are no immediate plans for the development of a vaccine, which is at least a year away according to CEO Paul Perreault. Meanwhile CSL has announced a $A950m stock repurchasing scheme, following six previous such moves that were worth $A3.3bn combined

CORPORATES
CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION