In the UK approximately half of women drink alcohol during pregnancy, 8% drink above recommended safe limits (1 or 2 units once or twice a week), and a quarter receive no health advice on safe levels of consumption.1,2 It is widely accepted that high alcohol consumption or regular binge drinking …
Vaccination1 works by exposing an individual to a killed or weakened infectious organism or part of an organism, usually via injection. This stimulates the immune system to respond quicker to future exposure to that organism, preventing the disease or reducing its severity. Risks of naturally acquired infection are avoided. Many …
On coming into office last year the Coalition government launched their ‘Big Society’ initiative. The encouragement of social action and volunteering were placed high on this agenda, which was demonstrated in two of the initiatives’ key aims: to give communities more powers; and to encourage people to take a more …
“Health is Global” the United Kingdom’s (UK) Global Health strategy was launched in September 2008 because, in today’s globalised and inter-dependant world, health has become a global issue.1 A recently launched outcomes framework focuses on three areas: global health security; international development; and trade for better health.2 Global health security …
Behavioural insight, also known as ‘Nudge’, after the book by Thaler and Sunstein,1 is based on behavioural science and economics. ‘Nudge’ is sometimes called libertarian paternalism. The use of nudge in health is rooted in the idea of influencing our behaviour without compulsion e.g. by using subconscious cues to ‘nudge’ …