Tweeting the public's health. Social media as a knowledge adjuvant

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Twitter provides a rapid mechanism for the dissemination of headlines.  In a world overwhelmed with information, knowledge management becomes a skill in need of honing.   If you do not yet have a Twitter account, sign up for one (

World AIDS Day -  December  1. Please forgive this site for failing to celebrate the day on time.    Health Canada announcing $17Million HIV research and vaccine development HIV vaccine announcement.    Can we ascribe some political currency to be seen involved in HIV research as relates to African countries?  The relative shortage of funding in other fields doesn’t get this level of attention.  Of course it was linked to World AIDS day on December 1, World AIDS day which provides a strong reminder there are some 34 Million infected persons, of which about 5% die each year. There were multiple tweets from south of the border as well celebrating the day .  HealthEvidence.ca published a list of comprehensive systemic reviews in celebration which is notable Health Evidence list of reviews on HIV and a commendable way to celebrate.   

From the APHA - Measles in Europe  A strong report from MMWR on the increase in measles across Europe MMWR and European Measles.   26,000 cases so far this year.  Concomitantly there have been numerous reports of measles importation into the Americas with a total of about 1000 recorded cases.   

From PHAC – a safe reissuing of travel advisory for sub-Saharan Africa and the meningococcal disease increases that have existed for longer than most of us have worked in public health. PHAC meningococcal advisory.  Nothing new and makes one wonder who is writing the PHAC tweets – some twit?

The 17% increase in utilization of school meal programs since prior to the recession in the US should have gotten much more attention School meal program increase.  Perhaps it is finally time to make school meals a standard part of the education programming at schools.  Healthy students learn better, and successful learners are healthier – we do need to appreciate the interrelationship.    

  Finally, a fun little piece on using social marketing  to target distracted driving amongst teenagers from the US Department of transport Social marketing strategy on distracted driving

Just a quick tour of a week of tweets from selected public health related websites focused on Canada and North America.  Sign up, and then learn to retweet the drphealth tweets to your colleagues!!!
Twitter home page) and at a minimum follow this site’s twitter companion  as the titles are “Tweeted” after posting  by @drphealth.   Just one more skill to add to your public health repetoire, and a relatively easy one to develop competence, and eventually master.

Two updates - yesterday the federal Minister of the Environment announced, as predicted, that Canada will not maintain its committment to the Kyoto protocol after it expires in the upcoming year.

Today,  the federal omnibus "get tough on crime" legislation will pass parliament despite opposition from a wide range of corners of the country, in fact, other than the sitting government, there does not seem to have been public support for the legislation - odd.