It’s live! Up and running! Have you seen the BMJ’s website, articles, and listened to the podcasts? The “Making a difference” project is one of our most exciting recent projects; a multimedia dynamic and innovative adventure. I should not say it … but it is superb. See the web, tell your friends and family, and get them to vote. So, how did we get here? more…

People in Bangladesh get 80% of their healthcare from the private sector. Across Sub-Saharan Africa it’s 60%, and the proportion is increasing. The poorer people are the more likely they are to receive private care, and the middle classes consume more publicly funded care than the poor. more…

I’ve begun to dread new social situations. Since starting training in public health, I’ve yet to work out a way to succinctly describe what it is I do. When new acquaintances look baffled at mention of primary care trusts, I usually find myself muttering about working in an office for the NHS. Small wonder they look confused. more…

On 26 January 2007 a regulation and amending regulation on medicinal products for paediatric use came into force in the EU, which requires that medicines are ethically researched and made available for children aged 0-17 years. more…

The sub-theme of this inaugural Think About Health conference is on “The Remoralisation of Health Policy”, and day two of the event, held in Manchester on 4-5 April 2008, began with a paper titled just that, from Jonathan Montgomery.  For those (including myself) who may have been somewhat uncertain about what the remoralisation of health policy might entail or why it might be necessary, he started by demonstrating what he sees as the current de-moralisation of health policy and practice. more…

Public health: it’s one of those things, like free education or saving the giant panda, that we all pretty much agree is a “Good Thing;” and not just a good thing but one of the fundamental social goods that most of us expect the state to provide.  But what, exactly, is public health; and perhaps more importantly, what measures are justified in pursuit of it?  For example: should we introduce compulsory food labelling, the “traffic light” system and educational campaigns about nutrition as ways of reducing obesity – or should we ban fat people from restaurants? more…