Alison Barrett writes:
@WePublicHealth is Croakey’s rotated curated X/Twitter account – used to provide a social journalism platform with a public health focus.
Inspired by the work of Luke Pearson with @IndigenousX (as previously profiled at Croakey here and here), and by other rotated, curated accounts, a new guest tweets from @WePublicHealth about a public health related topic each week. Summaries of each week’s tweets are published at Croakey.
Last week, I took a look back at some of the topics covered on @WePublicHealth in 2023, including conferences, policy issues, public health events, milestones and resources.
Thank you to everyone who guest tweeted @WePublicHealth in 2023. If you would like to guest tweet in 2024, please contact us to book!
Conferences
Guests used @WePublicHealth in 2023 to report live from conferences including the Australian Lung Cancer Conference, World Congress on Public Health, Greening the Healthcare Sector Forum, World Conference on Drowning Prevention and the Indigenous Allied Health Australia conference.
A wide range of topics was shared with @WePublicHealth and Croakey readers, whether it be the latest evidence on lung cancer screening, calls to decolonise public health, climate governance in health organisations, global perspectives on drowning prevention or strengths-based approaches to health and wellbeing.
Current issues
In April, the Victorian Department of Health informed community health services of budget cuts to health promotion programs.
AHPA Victoria and Tasmania Co-President David Towl took to @WePublicHealth for a week to discuss what the cuts would mean for health promotion in Victoria, using the hashtag, #StopTheCutsVictoria. Towl called for public health professionals to engage with their professional organisations and advocate for greater political and public appreciation for the value of prevention.
“We can’t rely on prevention being better than the cure and hoping others believe it,” he said.
Remy Shergill from the Climate and Health Alliance took charge of @WePublicHealth in July to share some suggestions for the National Health and Climate Strategy, as organisations and people were preparing their submissions to help inform its development.
Among them, Shergill recommended the Strategy follow a Health in all Policies approach and conduct genuine engagement with First Nations Elders and communities.
Celebrating milestones
Some auspicious milestones were celebrated on @WePublicHealth in 2023 including the 50th anniversary of the Whitlam Government’s Community Health Program which was celebrated by Adelaide University’s Stretton Health Equity Institute.
The Victorian Healthcare Association also celebrated 50 years of community health with a week on @WePublicHealth to highlight the “pivotal role” of community health in Victoria.
Meals on Wheels celebrated the organisation’s 70th anniversary of delivering meals to older Australians this year – a service that also contributes to social connections, for volunteers and recipients alike. Read the summary of tweets here.
The NHMRC Partnership Centre for Health System Sustainability (PCHSS) based at Macquarie University in Sydney hosted an event to celebrate the culmination of six years of research into improving the sustainability of healthcare systems. They previewed some of the discussions @WePublicHealth prior to the event, which you can read here.
Public health events
Guests tweeted from @WePublicHealth during public health events including World Breastfeeding Week and World Environment Day.
During World Breastfeeding Week, Professor Lisa Amir at La Trobe University discussed topics including how to measure breastfeeding and how urban design can help support breastfeeding in public.
During the week of World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, the Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network shared tips and strategies for tackling plastic pollution, minimising waste and adapting to climate change.
“A return to Indigenous-led solutions may be our only hope to address the global waste issue,” they tweeted.
When the World Federation of Public Health Associations took the reins of @WePublicHealth during Global Public Health Week they shared strong calls for decolonising public health.
Quoting Māori public health researcher and president-elect of the WFPHA Emma Rawson-Te Patu, they tweeted: “Decolonising public health is a challenge, but “we have the knowledge, tools and willingness”.
They also discussed the climate crisis and empowering communities – you can read more here.
To mark the launch of the Women in Public Health Network, Caterina Giorgi CEO of FARE Australia tweeted from @WePublicHealth to introduce Network members and discuss how the Network aims to advance gender equity in public health leadership. You can read a summary of the tweets here.
Resources, knowledge and ideas
Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN shared some local research and resources when they guest tweeted during Mental Health Week in 2023.
When the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre took the reins of @WePublicHealth in 2023, they shared a wealth of resources and the latest updates on prevention research. You can read all about it here.
If you’re after a Public Health Playlist, we have one for you – full of songs for peace, justice and climate action.
Public health academic and PhD Candidate Penelope Smith guest tweeted @WePublicHealth twice in 2023. This first time she shared how she wove systems thinking into public health curriculum – as well as a smorgasbord of beautiful photos of Naarm/Melbourne.
The second time at the helm of @WePublicHealth, Smith shared the account with other first-year PhD candidates to discuss their motivations, ambitions, and concerns.
The Illawarra Drug Action Team guest tweeted @WePublicHealth in 2023, putting a spotlight on prevention and the importance of community and lived experience voices – “we need systems that support those with a lived experience to be actively involved and enable local voices to be heard,” they wrote.
Additional support
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
beyondblue: 1300 224 636
13Yarn: 13 92 76
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
QLife: 1800 184 527
Check-In (VMIAC, Victoria): 1800 845 109
Lived Experience Telephone Line Service: 1800 013 755
See Croakey’s archive of @WePublicHealth 2023 articles here.
