Facilitating complex systems research for public health

Facilitating complex systems research for public health How do we turn the tide on seemingly intractable conditions such as diabetes and heart disease when their causes are so entwined with the environments we live in?

Public health researchers and policy makers have long understood that the causes of ill health are complex. Yet the biomedical research model, with its focus on linear associations between cause and effect, remains at the forefront of research and practice. In recent years, the case has been made for a change of direction and the need for a ‘complex systems model of evidence for public health’.  The Health Foundation

Measles cases hit record high in Europe

Measles cases hit record high in Europe Cases of measles in Europe have hit a record high, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

More than 41,000 people have been infected in the first six months of 2018, leading to 37 deaths.

Last year there were 23,927 cases and the year before 5,273. Experts blame this surge in infections on a drop in the number of people being vaccinated.

In England, there have been 807 cases so far this year. The WHO is calling on European countries to take action.

Public Health England say the outbreaks in England are largely due to people who have travelled to areas of mainland Europe that have had outbreaks. BBC News

See also:

• Measles outbreaks across England Public Health England
• Measles epidemic in Europe hits record high, World Health Organisation warns The Independent

Unexplained baby deaths rise for first time in three years

Unexplained baby deaths rise for first time in three years The number of babies dying from unexplained causes in England and Wales has risen for the first time in three years, data shows.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show there were 219 deaths caused by sudden infant death syndrome (Sids) or without a known cause in 2016. This was up from 195 the previous year and the highest number since 2013, when there were 252 deaths.

The numbers have been described as deeply concerning by the Lullaby Trust charity, which raises awareness of Sids. The Guardian

The only way is ethics: a new approach to outsourcing social care

The only way is ethics: a new approach to outsourcing social care e Outsourcing public services, especially to the private sector, has been the model of choice in the UK for around 30 years. Nowhere has this been more the case than in adult social care, where private companies account for the vast majority of provision in both the care home and homecare market. The Guardian

16 nurses from same Arizona intensive care unit pregnant at same time

16 nurses from same Arizona intensive care unit pregnant at same time A group of 16 nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Banner Desert Medical Centre in Mesa, Arizona have astounded co-workers by all becoming pregnant at the same time.

The nurses only discovered how many of them were simultaneously expecting children when they all happened to join a Facebook group chat for pregnant workers at the hospital. The Independent

Midwives under fire after newborn baby choked to death when his 'dog tired' mother fell asleep while breastfeeding

Midwives under fire after newborn baby choked to death when his 'dog tired' mother fell asleep while breastfeeding A coroner has criticised hospital midwives after a newborn baby died when his “dog tired” mother fell asleep as she was breastfeeding him.

Louie Bradley choked to death after his mother, Ann, had been taught a feeding technique that went against national advice, an inquest heard.

Bolton assistant coroner John Pollard said it was “extraordinary” that the new mother was left alone in bed with her baby when she was “dog tired” after a long labour. The Independent

The NHS needs to cash in its data

The NHS needs to cash in its data As the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday, there has been a period of reflection, and an outpouring of nostalgia, about the contribution the service has made to the country since its foundation in 1948. And quite right too.

But as the UK embarks on its journey outside the European Union, and the NHS faces up to the cost pressures created by the nation’s ageing population, there is a need now to focus on what the service will look like over the next 70 years. Key to this will be ensuring that the UK makes the most of some incredible advances in medical technology and artificial intelligence. The Daily Telegraph

Growing number of women over 50 are turning to IVF

Growing number of women over 50 are turning to IVF According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which regulates IVF in the UK, 223 babies were born to women in their 50s over the past 10 years, with 42 cases in 2016 alone. The Daily Mail

Cocaine deaths quadruple in seven years

Cocaine deaths quadruple in seven years There were 432 deaths related to the drug in England and Wales in 2017, compared with 371 the previous year and 112 in 2011, figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Rise in cocaine deaths prompts calls for government action The Guardian