News Briefs
Bone health study
Volunteers are needed for a study that is looking at the effects of exercise on bone density. Participants need to be female, over 50 years of age, in good general health, have not taken HRT in the past five years and have been diagnosed with osteopenia of the hip (low bone density). All assessments, exercise programs and Swisse calcium supplements are provided at no cost to participants. Four YMCAs are involved – Ashburton, Ascot Vale, Northcote and Macleod. For more information contact Anne Kelly at the University of Melbourne, Tuesday or Thursday, 8344 0426 or email: matthews@unimelb.edu.au
Celebrating 40 years of Walk Against Want
Over the past four decades, hundreds of thousands of Australians have taken part in Walk Against Want, raising much needed funds for Oxfam’s work around the globe and some remember well the first Walk. Ken Middleton signed on in 1967, the first time the walk was organised as a major event, and he and a group of people walked 25kms from Melbourne to Frankston. At 46, he says he was one of the older ones and "some people at work thought I was a bit crazy to do it". In Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia Sunday 5 March will see thousands participating in the 40th birthday Walk Against Want. Other states walk on 12 March.
Yallourn history book raises money for Alfred
Lauris Stanger Brill’s account of the growth and final demise of ‘the biggest brown coal mine in Australia’ is told through 130 stories by former residents, along with plenty of photographs of Yallourn’s people and places. The book is now being sold with all profits going to the Alfred Hospital Heart and Lung Unit. Send $36 (includes postage) to The Alfred Foundation, PO Box 2021, Prahran 3181.
Nominations due for community safety awards
The Victorian Community Safety – Crime Prevention Awards recognise excellence, innovation and best practice in crime and violence prevention projects. Any projects involving business, government departments, non-government agencies and community organizations that have made an outstanding contribution to crime and/or violence prevention in Victoria can be nominated for an award. Further information available from Crime Prevention Victoria, email crime.prevention@justice.vic.gov.au Nominations are due by 10 March 2006.
Evergreening provisions cause concern
Consumer and health groups have asked the Prime Minister to resist moves to abolish the evergreening drug provision of the US Fair Trade agreement, saying that the provision discourages pharmaceutical companies from stopping other companies from producing cheaper drugs. Australian Consumers’ Association spokeswoman Viola Korczak said that if the mooted changes went ahead there would be fewer generic drugs on the market, less choice and the Government would have to spend more on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS). Ms Korczak said that the additional cost would be passed on to consumers through higher co-payments and research has shown that one in five Australian household has difficulty affording the present co-payments for prescription medicines.
