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Improving Nonmedical Vaccine Exemption Policies: Three Case Studies

Mark Christopher Navin, Mark Aaron Largent Public Health Ethics Some communities that exempt parents from vaccine mandates have recently reformed their exemption policies by eliminating nonmedical exemptions, allowing nonmedical exemptions only for parent ...

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Distinguishing between Experienced Utility and Remembered Utility

Adam Oliver Public Health Ethics In his 2015 book, Valuing Health, the philosopher, Daniel Hausman, in referring to experienced utility maximization, touches on the question of whether people accept, and ought to accept, the assumption of health maximizat ...

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Is Well-being Measurable After All?

Anna Alexandrova Public Health Ethics Abstract In Valuing Health, Dan Hausman argues that well-being is not measurable, at least not in the way that science and policy would require. His argument depends on a demanding conception of well-being and on a pe ...

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Public Values for Health States Versus Societal Valuations of Health Improvements: A Critique of Dan Hausman’s ‘Valuing Health’

Erik Nord Public Health Ethics Daniel Hausman’s book ‘Valuing Health’ is a valuable contribution to our understanding of QALYs and DALYs and to moving health economics to adopting a broader perspective than that taken in conventional cost-effectiveness an ...

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Global Health Solidarity

Peter G. N. West-Oram, Alena Buyx Public Health Ethics For much of the 20th century, vulnerability to deprivations of health has often been defined by geographical and economic factors. Those in wealthy, usually ‘Northern’ and ‘Western’, parts of the worl ...

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Research Ethics Governance in Times of Ebola

Stephen R. Latham Public Health Ethics The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ethics review board (ERB) has been solicited in an unprecedented way to provide advice and review research protocols in an ‘emergency’ mode during the recent Ebola epidemic. Twenty- ...

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The Moral Life of Professionals in Newborn Screening in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Study

Anke J. M. Oerlemans, Leo A. J. Kluijtmans, Simone van der Burg Public Health Ethics Newborn screening (NBS) involves a complex logistical process, which depends on the close cooperation of many professionals, such as midwives, laboratory technicians, gen ...

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Political Theory, Values and Public Health

Stephen R. Latham Public Health Ethics This article offers some general criticisms of the idea that any political theory can legitimate public health interventions, and then some particular criticisms of Civic Republicanism as a political theory for publi ...

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Physical activity and older adults: An overview of guidelines, trends, policies and frameworks

Publish to PHW Public to Repository 10.14655/11971-1084876 Institute of Public Health in Ireland Physical activity, Ageing, Older people, Exercise There are major individual and societal benefits to getting people more active. Being physically active is o ...

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Reply to Ackermann

Ross MacKenzie, Wendy Rogers Public Health Ethics Evan Ackermann’s (2015) response on behalf of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to our article (MacKenzie and Rogers, 2015) largely reiterates previous criticisms levelled by ...

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Ethical Criteria for Human Challenge Studies in Infectious Diseases

Ben Bambery, Michael Selgelid, Charles Weijer, Julian Savulescu, Andrew J. Pollard Public Health Ethics Abstract Purposeful infection of healthy volunteers with a microbial pathogen seems at odds with acceptable ethical standards, but is an important cont ...

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It’s a Shame! Stigma Against Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Examining the Ethical Implications for Public Health Practices and Policies

Emily Bell, Gail Andrew, Nina Di Pietro, Albert E. Chudley, James N. Reynolds, Eric Racine Public Health Ethics Abstract Stigma can influence the prevention and identification of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a leading cause of developmental del ...

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The Return of Lombroso? Ethical Aspects of (Visions of) Preventive Forensic Screening

Christian Munthe, Susanna Radovic Public Health Ethics Abstract The vision of legendary criminologist Cesare Lombroso to use scientific theories of individual causes of crime as a basis for screening and prevention programmes targeting individuals at risk ...

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Is Antimicrobial Resistance a Slowly Emerging Disaster?

A. M. Viens, Jasper Littmann Public Health Ethics Abstract The problem of antimicrobial resistance is so dire that people are predicting that the era of antibiotics may be coming to an end, ushering in a ‘post-antibiotic’ era. A comprehensive policy respo ...

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The Ethical Significance of Antimicrobial Resistance

Jasper Littmann, A. M. Viens Public Health Ethics Abstract In this paper, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of the ethical challenges that arise in the context of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which includes an introduction to the contributions to ...

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Caribbean Heat Threatens Health, Well-being and the Future of Humanity

Cheryl C. Macpherson, Muge Akpinar-Elci Public Health Ethics Abstract Climate change has substantial impacts on public health and safety, disease risks and the provision of health care, with the poor being particularly disadvantaged. Management of the ass ...

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A Global Public Goods Approach to the Health of Migrants

Heather Widdows, Herjeet Marway Public Health Ethics Abstract This paper explores a global public goods approach to the health of migrants. It suggests that this approach establishes that there are a number of health goods which must be provided to migran ...

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The Restaurant Food Hot Potato: Stop Passing it on—A Commentary on Mah and Timming’s, ‘Equity in Public Health Ethics: The Case of Menu Labelling Policy at the Local Level’

Kathryn L. MacKay Public Health Ethics Abstract In the case discussion, ‘Equity in Public Health Ethics: The Case of Menu Labelling Policy at the Local Level’ (2014), Mah and Timming state that menu labelling would ‘place requirements for information disc ...

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Consultation on liquor licensing laws in Northern Ireland

Department for Communities Consultation opened on 14 October 2019. Closing date 06 December 2019 at 17:00. The Department for Communities is seeking views on current liquor licensing laws, their impact, if any, and what changes could be considered in the ...

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All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care Annual Review 2018

All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care Palliative Care Highlights of the Institute’s work throughout 2018 can now be seen in the AIIHPC’s Annual Review 2018. These activities involve members of Voices4Care and other service users, representa ...

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24 October 2019

A new report by IPH providing an overview of key policies that aim to support older adults to be more physically active was launched at the Physical Activity & Older Adults: What Works? conference organised by the IPH.

The report- ‘Physical Activity and Older Adults’ – provides an overview of guidelines, trends, policies and frameworks.

Prepared by Dr Conor Cunningham and Prof Roger O’Sullivan, the report aims to be a resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

It forms part of an ongoing programme of work by the IPH on the theme of physical activity and ageing, focused on the role of healthcare professionals, both North and South, in supporting older adults to be more physically active.

You can view the full report here

You can view the executive summary with key findings here

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24 October 2019

The ‘walkability’ of Ireland’s cities and towns needs to be improved to support people to live healthier lives, a conference organised by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) was told.

Healthcare professionals, government officials, policymakers and community organisations, from North and South, gathered to consider the role of physical activity in keeping the island of Ireland’s ageing population healthier for longer.

Over 977,000 people are currently aged 65 or over across the island. This will increase to over 2 million people by 2051.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people aged 65 and over should do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as a brisk walk, five times a week.

But research shows that 1 in 2 people aged 65 and over across the island do not get enough physical activity.

Keynote speaker Prof Shane O’Mara, the author of a new book In Praise of Walking, told the conference that more is needed to support older people to build walking into their lives.

Prof O’Mara said: “Our bodies are designed for walking. Within the first few months of life, as babies we try to walk. But as we grow older, at a time when the benefits of physical activity are so important, we become less active and walk less.

For more information, click here

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1 January 2019

A little physical activity can help older people to live healthier

LIGHT physical activity, such as a walk in the park, gardening or a little housework can help older people to live healthier for longer.

That’s the message from the Institute of Public Health in Ireland as Positive Ageing Week takes place across the country. Today (October 1st) also marks UN International Day for Older Persons.

The weeklong initiative aims to highlight the positive aspects of ageing and celebrates the fact that we are living longer, and that growing older is an opportunity.

Over 530,000 people aged 65 and over currently live in the Republic of Ireland - by 2046, this will rise to 1.4 million people.

In Northern Ireland, the number of people aged 65 and over will rise from 297,000 to 491,000.

But research shows 1 in 2 people aged 65 and over in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland do not get enough physical activity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people aged 65 and over should do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, such as a brisk walk, five times a week.

To find out more, click here

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23 September 2019

Joint Public Health Annual Conference 2019

Date 27 Nov 2019

Venue Titanic Belfast

REGISTRATION is now open to attend the Joint Public Health Annual Conference which takes place on 27th November in the Titanic Hotel Belfast.

The conference is hosted by the Public Health Agency, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, Centre for Public Health at Queen's University Belfast, the Health Service Executive Ireland, UCC, and the Department of Health NI.

The theme of the conference is ‘Innovation in Public Health’ and aims to raise the profile of public health research, interventions and innovation, and engage local professionals, practitioners and researchers working in broad field of public health.

You can register here. Closing date to register is 4th October, although places are limited and may fill up before the closing date.

The day will provide an excellent opportunity to network across sectors and disciplines. In addition to the keynote plenary sessions, delegates will have the opportunity to participate in a number of parallel workshops showcasing the innovative approaches that are currently underway across the island of Ireland.

To read more about the keynote speakers click here.

To find out more and to register, click here

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10 July 2019

National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment

There is a fundamental shift across Europe towards making research more transparent, collaborative, accessible and efficient. Ireland already has a strong research reputation with a proven track record of collaborating and competing successfully in Europe and beyond. We recognise the importance of collaborating at a national level also to better support research and researchers in the key areas of open access publications, FAIR research data, infrastructure, skills and competencies, and incentives and rewards.

Open research requires system-thinking and a change in research culture and behaviour. The National Open Research Forum (NORF) is leading a critical and informed approach to framing open research in Ireland. It is a great example of how collaborative working at a national level can help to reach agreement on difficult choices which support our common purpose of delivering excellence, talent and impact across the Irish research system

To access the Framework. Click here

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16 July 2019

Commercial foods for infants and young children in the WHO European Region (2019)

A study of the availability, composition and marketing of baby foods in four European countries

In order to help Member States understand what commercial foods for infants and young children are currently on the market, and to support implementation of the Guidance on ending inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children at the European level, the WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a methodology for identifying commercial baby foods available in retail settings and collecting data on their nutritional content, as well as various aspects of their packaging, labelling and promotion. This publication describes the findings from a study conducted in four countries of the WHO European region based on this methodology.

To access the Report Click here

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2 July 2019

New research reveals households on low incomes need to spend up to 1/3 of take home income to afford a healthy food basket

Research highlights challenges facing low-income households in balancing the expense of a basic, acceptable and nutritious food basket while meeting other weekly household expenses.

New research by safefood has revealed some families on low income need to spend up to one third (33%) of their take home income to afford a basic food basket that is acceptable and meets nutritional needs. In general, households on a low-income tend to eat less well, have poorer health outcomes with higher levels of excess weight and its complications.

To access the Report Click here

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9 May 2019

Guide Dog Day

10 May 2019

Tomorrow is Irish Guide Dog Day! An awareness raising and fundraising day for Irish Guide Dog's clients - vision impaired people and the families of children with autism

To find out more, click here

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8 April 2019

Healthy Workplace Framework consultation report launched

A CONSULTATION report on developing a Healthy Workplace Framework has been published by the Department of Health (ROI).

The report was prepared for the Department of Health by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH).

IPH facilitated the online consultation and hosted events in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Sligo which invited stakeholders to share their views and experience on creating a healthy workplace.

The consultation report will now be considered by the Department to inform the development of the Healthy Workplace Framework, which is expected to be published later in 2019.

The aim of the Framework is to recognise and enhance existing initiatives, to facilitate the sharing of experience and learning, and also provide the necessary supports and tools for organisations or companies who haven’t yet developed their own resources.

The Framework sits under Healthy Ireland and is intended to provide a supportive, flexible, evidence-based structure that can be applied across all workplaces in Ireland regardless of their sector or size.

IPH is continuing to support the Department with this important Framework in the areas of policy design, implementation and monitoring

You can read the consultation report here

and three further research papers here

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18 January 2019

A report prepared for the Department of Health in Northern Ireland by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH)

The report was commissioned to support the Department of Health in Northern Ireland’s drug and alcohol strategy review.

IPH’s Director of Policy Helen McAvoy said: “Drug and alcohol-related harms continue to escalate across the island of Ireland and the UK. These harms threaten the wellbeing of individuals as well as their families and communities, particularly those living in social disadvantage."

Findings from the review were presented at the European Alcohol Policy Conference held in Edinburgh in 2018