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Past Events

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2011

Health Urban Planning and Design for NCD Prevention

Thursday, 11 April 2013

Every day we hear about the rise in rates of obesity, diabetes and the human and social costs of the so-called “non-communicable diseases” (NCDs). The alarming rise in these conditions has been largely attributed to the ways in which we live - the obesogenic environments that we have created. As such the solutions to these complex problems lies in the intersection between health, economic and social policy.

Students, early career researchers and young professionals were invited to attend a seminar focusing on the interface between the health sector and urban planning and design. We often hear about the need for multi-sectoral collaboration in order to prevent NDC's but can be unclear how to do this in practice. The aim of this forum was to provide the opportunity to understand how the health sector can interface with urban planning and transport in an effort to build healthier communities.

Guest speakers:

  • Michael Cullen, Urbancity
  • Peter McCue, Executive Office of the NSW Premier’s Council for Active Living

This event was sponsored by the Sydney Health Policy Network, The Charles Perkins Centre and the Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network.

Resources:

Use the links below to access copies of presentations:

SHPN Conference 2012

All that health reform! What have we achieved and what have we learned?

Wednesday, 14 November 2012

Three years on from major health reforms instigated by the current Labor government, we looked at where we are up to in the process. The conference speakers were three former Chairs (Bennett, Moodie & Hobbs) of health reform initiatives in hospital care, prevention and primary care commissioned by the Australian government in 2008/2009. They offered personal views on what has been achieved, what remains to be done, and what we have learned from this intense organisational upheaval and realignment.

Following the presentations, conference participants had an opportunity to ask questions in a discussion facilitated by Professor Geoff Gallop, and contributed to by guest panellists and key members of the Sydney Health Policy Network. Participants were then invited to join workshops exploring key health policy issues.

Guest Speakers:

  • Dr Christine Bennett, former Chair of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission
  • Dr Anthony Hobbs, former Chair of the External Reference Group, National Primary Health Care Strategy
  • Professor Rob Moodie, former Chair of the National Preventative Health Taskforce

Guest Panel Members:

  • Professor Ian Hickie AM, Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney
  • Associate Professor Hans Zoellner, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney
  • Professor Mary Chiarella, Sydney Nursing School
  • Diana O'Halloran, Chair, Western Sydney Medicare Local; Conjoint Professor, University Of Western Sydney (Standing in for Dr Anthony Hobbs)

Guest Facilitator: Professor Geoff Gallop AC, Director, Graduate School of Government

Detailed Program

A detailed program is available by clicking here

Speaker Profiles

Click here to view Speaker Profiles

Conference Resources:

PGSIG Forum: Strategies to Influence Policy

11 October 2012

Researchers don't often get a chance to communicate with politicians about the type of research evidence that is valuable and how to best frame issues. However, as the need for research to be translated into policy becomes increasingly important, this conversation needs to begin. This forum invited postgraduate students and early career researchers to engage in a dialogue with former politicians about these key issues. The aim of the forum was to provide the opportunity to speak candidly with former politicians and gain insight into how to embark on policy relevant research.

Guest Speakers:

  • Hon Dr Geoff Gallop, Professor and Director, Graduate School of Government and former Premier of Western Australia
  • John Della Bosca, National Campaign Director for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and former NSW Minster
  • The Honourable Elisabeth Kirkby OAM, former member of the Legislative Council of NSW and state leader of the Australian Democrats party (currently enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Sydney)

Click on below links for forum resources:

Social Determinants of Health Special Interest Group Forum

27 July 2012

There are various underlying social determinants that affect the health of populations. The rhetoric surrounding the social determinants of health often focuses on the problem without providing actual solutions to the issue. The aim of the forum was to provide examples of "health in all policies".

Guest speakers:

  • Professor Peter Sainsbury, Director of Population Health in South Western Sydney
  • Deb Wildgoose, Senior Project Officer, Health in all Policies Unit, South Australia Health
  • Isobel Ludford, Project Officer, Health in all Policies Unit, South Australia Health
  • Dr. Stacy Carter, Centre for Values, Ethics & Law in Medicine, University of Sydney
  • Professor Alan Cass, Senior Director, Renal & Metabolic Division, George Insitute for Global Health
  • Professor John MacDonald, School of Science and Health,University of Western Sydney
  • Dr Catherine Hawke, School of Rural Health, University of Sydney Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health

Click on below links for forum resources:

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Medicines: Access, Affordability, and Use in Asia - challenges and opportunities

4 June 2012

The Sydney Health Policy Network and the Faculty of Pharmacy presented a public lecture by Dr. Anita Katharina Wagner.

Dr Wagner is a clinical pharmacist, pharmacoepidemiologist, and pharmaceutical policy researcher. Her research focuses on: access to and affordability of medicines among vulnerable populations, particularly in low and middle income countries.

Dr Wagner founded the global Medicines and Insurance Coverage Initiative (MedIC) of the Boston WHO Collaborating Center in Pharmaceutical Policy. MedIC is a unique partnership which aims to improve population health by supporting the design, implementation, evaluation, and routine monitoring of evidence based medicines benefit policies.

Click on below links for lecture resources:

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The Costs of the Double Burden: Under - and Overnutrition Worldwide

17 April 2012

The Sydney Health Policy Network and the Charles Parkins Centre Presented a webinar by Richard J. Deckelbaum, MD, CM, FRCP(C), Director, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University.

Click on below links for webinar resources:

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Strengthening Prevention Policy Forum

9 March 2012

Presented by the Sydney Health Policy Network and the Prevention Research Collaboration at the University of Sydney.

The forum provided an in depth analysis of current prevention policy, including structural barriers and strategies for strengthening practice.

The aim was to engage a wide range of prevention policy stakeholders and to foster ongoing exchange between research and policymaking perspectives.

Guest speakers:

  • Professor Penny Hawe, University of Calgary
  • Joanne Smith, NSW Ministry of Health
  • Louise Sylvan, Australian National Prevention Agency
  • Professor Stephen Leeder, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney
  • Professor Chris Rissel, Prevention Research Collaboration, University of Sydney
  • Dr Catriona Bonfiglioli, Media Studies, University of Technology Sydney
  • Dr Jacqui Webster, George Institute for Global Health
  • Ms Belinda Reeve, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney
  • Professor Simon Chapman, School fo Public Health, University of Sydney

Session Chair: Ms Lesley King, Executive Officer, Prevention Research Collaboration

The forum was opened by the Minister for Health, and Minister for Medical Research, The Hon. Jillian Skinner, MP.

Click on below links for forum resources:

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Mind over Money: Reforming national health funding and its implications for mental health

29 November 2011

SHPN Conference 2011

This conference presented a unique opportunity to hear some of the key players in national health reform, and influence the health reform agenda by providing clear messages and desired outcomes for the coming years.

Guest Facilitator: Gregor Henderson, Independent adviser in mental health and wellbeing, Scotland, UK.

The conference was split into two sessions.

The morning session provided attendees with an overview of the new national health funding and governance arrangements. The afternoon session explored what these new arrangements mean for mental health in Australia and the prospects for ongoing reform.

Understanding this landscape will be critical to ongoing effective health policy and research.

Click on below links for conference resources:

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Why Modern Life is bad for our mental health and wellbeing and what we might choose to do about it

28 November 2011

Special Guest Lecturer: Gregor Henderson, independent adviser in mental health and wellbeing, Scotland, UK.

This lecture explored what emerging public health policy, with its focus on wellbeing and social action, may have to offer our individual and collective responses to mental illness and mental health and to creating a more mentally health society for the 21st century.

Drawing on emerging policy, evidence and practice from around the world, Gregor presented the case for making public mental health with a focus on wellbeing a legitimate goal for national and local policies and actions.

Click on below links for lecture resources:

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Sydney Health Policy Network Symposium

16 May 2011

The Sydney Health Policy Network Symposium showcased the health policy activities of the University of Sydney.

The day was divided into two sessions. The objective of the first session was to provide snapshots of research and education efforts relevant to health policy from across the University.

The objective of the second session was to identify a number of key aims for the Network over the coming year, and ways of achieving those aims. The session also provided a chance to discuss new ideas and identify opportunities for collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

Click on below links for Symposium resources:

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