To the great surprise of many well-informed people in developed countries, malaria remains a major problem in the world today. Although figures may not be very reliable, it was estimated that in 2008 one fifth of the world’s population was at risk of malaria, leading to 240 million episodes and some 850,000 deaths, the majority occurring in Africa
In its earliest imaginings by politicians and bureaucrats, Canberra was imagined as a city — and a national capital — in a landscape. It was pictured using the graphic conventions of the time, as a place of remarkable formal harmony, and as a place to unify the perceived dichotomies in Australia between ‘the bush’ and the city, the uninhabitable and the habitable
The phrase inconvenient truth, made famous by Al Gore’s movie, has unfortunately for humanity turned out to be not only inconvenient and true, but quite prophetic about the climate. Climate change, on current projections, threatens the very life support systems on which human civilisation depends
There is one measure which, if adopted in Australia, would make an important difference to this flawed democracy of ours: it is a Charter of Rights. The response to the idea of a Charter of Rights is not easily summarised
One of the few philosophical precepts which is practically universal is captured in the Christian teaching: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In its original Biblical expression it says: ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets
Climate change represents the greatest challenge to human existence we have ever experienced ... For most people, the idea that our planet will become impossible for human life is nearly impossible to accept. Denying the possibility is easy and comforting. Not one of us would like to think that the quality of our lifestyle will cost a future generation the possibility of continued existence
It is not difficult to articulate the core elements of any human rights framework: we should acknowledge as inalienable rights those conditions that are generally regarded as indispensable for a decent human existence. Traditionally, human rights have not been seen to depend on, or arise from, membership of a particular society. They arise from the fact of being human
The ancient Chinese curse to live in changing times applies more to the health system in western countries than ever before. A number of factors are contributing to a period of immense challenge and opportunity. In the past, health systems have evolved through evolution with gradual change, and this will probably be the major modus operandi for changes in the health system in the years ahead
One of the basic human drives is to find out more about ourselves and the world in which we live. This desire for knowledge goes back to the birth of civilisation, but it is only in relatively recent centuries that a modern scientific approach has developed
The banging of drums, ringing chants and a scarlet Australian flag. In Melbourne’s CBD, few people spare the image a second glance; some, like me, are slightly annoyed at the tram delay, but it’s just another Saturday. Another Saturday, another anti-vaxxer protest