theirishtimes--2019-03-13--Widespread dissatisfaction with mental health services

High levels of dissatisfaction with mental health services provided by the HSE among users and their families and carers are revealed in two surveys published on Wednesday.  A poor experience of services, a failure to treat patients with dignity, frequent changes of staff and a high focus on medication are among the issues raised by large numbers of those surveyed.  Service users were also unhappy with the complaints process, with half of those surveyed saying they wanted to complain but did not, and half of those who did complain reporting that nothing had been done in response.  Campaigners say the results show people using mental health services are not routinely getting the services envisaged in the landmark policy A Vision for Change, published 13 years ago.  Mental health services have traditionally been the Cinderella of the health services, and improvements have been slow in coming despite ring-fenced budgets in many years, often because of difficulties recruiting staff.  The research was conducted by Mental Health Reform, funded by the HSE and will be launched on Wednesday by John Farrelly, chief executive of the Government’s Mental Health Commission.  “These two surveys demonstrate we still have some way to travel to ensure the service user is at the heart of mental health care in Ireland,” according to Mr Farrelly. “Ensuring all people using mental health services are treated with dignity and respect must be a key focus for the country’s services providers.”  Just 29 per cent of service users said they had a good experience of HSE mental health services overall, with 42 per cent saying their experience had been poor. One in five users of community services, and one in 10 users of inpatient services, said they were not treated with dignity or respect.  Even in crisis care, almost half of those who had gone to emergency departments for help said they did not get the supports they needed.  Overall, six out of 10 people reported a high focus on medication as part of their treatment and care, and one-third said they were not involved as much as they would have liked. However, six out of 10 said they had been referred to “talking therapy” by community mental health services.  Director of Mental Health Reform Shari McDaid said the findings showed evidence of the “very mixed experience” people have when accessing services.  “It is also very concerning that those who support someone with a mental health difficulty, including family members and other supporters, reported high levels of dissatisfaction with the information provided to them by mental health services.”  This separate survey of almost 800 people found two out of every three family members or supporters were dissatisfied with the information and advice they received, even in a crisis. Half said none of their views were incorporated into the recovery or care plan of the person they were supporting.


theirishtimes--2019-06-20--Minimal disruption to health services as strike talks begin

There was minimal disruption to healthcare services on Thursday following the deferral of a strike by 10,000 support staff, as talks got underway at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to avert further strikes next week.  A 24-hour stoppage by groups such as healthcare assistants, laboratory aides and porters scheduled to commence on Thursday was deferred on Wednesday evening to allow for emergency talks at the WRC on Thursday and Friday.  The strike had threatened the cancellation of large numbers of scope procedures and some elective inpatient work, as well as outpatient appointments in some hospitals.  But following its deferral, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said hospitals moved to reinstate services and appointments “in so far as possible” and had contacted patients directly to advise of any appointments and procedures that could proceed.  A spokeswoman for the HSE said on Thursday that “things are getting back to normal”, but that it had not been possible to reinstate some appointments, such as those which would have required patients to fast overnight.  The Mater Hospital said it was proceeding with all previously planned appointments and procedures for patients. Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, and the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group both said its hospitals were “endeavouring to reinstate services and appointments in so far as possible”.  The South/South West Hospital Group also said it was “reinstating appointments in so far as possible” but added that outpatient services “have not been affected and are running as normal in all hospitals”.  University Hospital Limerick (UHL) said all outpatient appointments and elective procedures were going ahead as planned “with a small number of exceptions”. Most patients whose appointments were cancelled “were contacted and rescheduled”.  “A small number of patients who were scheduled for colonoscopy at UHL on Thursday will be rescheduled at a later date as the decision to defer strike action did not allow sufficient time to make the necessary preparations for the procedure,” it said.  However, Siptu has warned that preparations for further strikes, scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, would continue.  The dispute centres on what the union described as a failure of the Government to implement the findings of a job evaluation scheme for healthcare support staff which could see some staff receive increases of € 1,500-€3,000 a year.  Speaking on his way into the WRC for talks with the Department of Public Expenditure, the Department of Health, and the HSE, Siptu’s Paul Bell said he hoped an agreement could be reached.  “The WRC has invited us in for discussion with the employer on the basis that they believe there is scope for a negotiated settlement to the ongoing dispute,” he said. “That’s a judgment that the WRC has made.  “Hopefully we can reach some sort of agreement where we will not have to take action next week but it’s very early at this stage to say. I also have to wait to see if there has been any movement in the position of the Department of Public Expenditure.  “We’re going to give it the best go we can. We don’t want to end up in an unnecessary strike action. We will stay in the process as long as we feel it is a meaningful engagement. We owe it to our members and we owe to the public.”


theirishtimes--2019-06-24--Health service strike to go ahead on Wednesday says Siptu

Health service strike to go ahead on Wednesday, says Siptu

A planned strike by 10,000 healthcare support staff is set to go ahead on Wednesday after talks aimed at resolving the dispute ended without agreement, the trade union Siptu has said.  Siptu health divisional organiser Paul Bell said: “Siptu would prefer a negotiated settlement that does not impact on patient services. Unfortunately, we have run out of time and too many issues remain unresolved. Siptu members have acted in good faith at all times during this dispute including by deferring two days of strike action.  “We believe that the Government has abused the conciliation process and never meaningfully engaged with Siptu representatives.”  He was commenting after talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) between the union and the HSE concluded on Monday.  A 24-hour stoppage scheduled for last Thursday was deferred to allow for the WRC talks which began late last week.  The strike has threatened the cancellation of large numbers of scope procedures and some elective inpatient work, as well as outpatient appointments in some hospitals.  The dispute centres on what the union described as a failure of the Government to implement the findings of a job evaluation scheme for healthcare support staff which could see some staff receive increases of € 1,500-€3,000 a year.  Mr Bell said: “Some €16.2 million is owed to our members yet the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has only offered €1.2 million to resolve this dispute. Furthermore, the Department has attempted to frustrate this process by seeking to unilaterally change a crucial element of the job evaluation scheme which centres on the assimilation of pay to new grades as awarded under this independent process.”  He added: “A 24 hour strike, involving up to 10,000 support staff, will go ahead from 8am on Wednesday as our members continue to pursue their legitimate claim for recognition, respect and pay justice.”


theirishtimes--2019-06-25--HSE says healthcare strike will have significant impact on services

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has said a strike by 10,000 health service support staff on Wednesday will have a significant impact on services in nearly 40 hospitals.  The health authority said the impact would vary between hospitals.  A planned 24-hour strike is set to go ahead from 8am on Wednesday, which the HSE expects to have a significant impact on services in 38 hospitals across the State.  The HSE said on Tuesday significant numbers of procedures involving scopes for patients would have to be cancelled. It also said some elective in-patient procedures would have to be deferred.  The HSE said as a result of the strike by the support staff, who are represented by Siptu, there would be reduced outpatient services, reduced laboratory services for GPs, reduced catering services for both patients and staff and reduced theatre.  “Patients are being contacted by their local hospital or healthcare facility in the event that their scheduled procedure or service will be affected by the dispute,” it said.  On Tuesday, the HSE’s national director of community operations, David Walsh, warned that if a further three days of industrial action threatened by health support workers goes ahead next week there will be a significant impact on the HSE’s ability to provide services.  He told RTÉ Radio’s News at One that the public should consider that their procedures are going ahead tomorrow unless they are contacted directly from the HSE.  The HSE said it will keep the public informed of developments on its social media channels and website www.hse.ie.  Minister for Health Simon Harris has said the decision by staff to strike in a row over pay before going to the Labour Court was “absolutely extraordinary.”  Mr Harris said it was “bizarre for patients up and down the country that such chaos would be brought to our health service without even trying to resolve this at the Labour Court”.  Mr Harris said he hoped the dispute would be referred to the Labour Court on Tuesday.  Meanwhile, an emergency medicine consultant warned that while Wednesday’s strike does not pose a significant risk to patients it will cause widespread disruption.  Dr Fergal Hickey said there will be delays and inconvenience for patients and staff during the planned strike.  Dr Hickey said the strike will cause problems for Emergency Departments as there will be no access to porters to bring patients to their wards or radiology. Cleaning the department will also be a concern as over a 24 hour period there are significant “spills of blood and other bodily fluids.”  A spokeswoman for the Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe said the strike’s consequences would be “extremely disruptive and distressing” for many patients.  Siptu health divisional organiser Paul Bell said the trade union would prefer a negotiated settlement that did not impact on patient services.  A 24-hour stoppage scheduled for last week was deferred to allow for talks between Siptu and the HSE at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Those talks began last Thursday and concluded yesterday without agreement.  Mr Donohoe’s spokeswoman said the Government has constructively and positively engaged to try to resolve the dispute and made a significant offer last Friday. This “decent and fair offer” was sufficient for Siptu to call off its strike planned for last week, she said.  The dispute centres on what Siptu described as a failure of the Government to implement the findings of a job evaluation scheme for healthcare support staff which could see some staff receive increases of € 1,500 to €3,000 a year.  Senior Government sources suggested it was prepared to pay about one third of the job evaluation award next year with the balance in 2021 and 2022.  The source said meeting Siptu’s demand would represent a 7 per cent pay rise for the staff concerned next year in addition to increases under the general pay round and the extra remuneration provided by Government to recent entrants to the public service.  Mr Bell said some €16.2 million was owed to his members yet the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform had only offered €1.2 million.


theirishtimes--2019-10-10--PrEP programme to be rolled out in health service from next month

Medication preventing HIV infection is to be rolled out through the public health service from the start of next month, the Government has announced.  A programme for PrEP, a combination of pre-emptive antiretroviral drugs which help prevent the contracting of HIV, will be offered through the health service from November 4th.  The new programme means that those who attend an approved service and are found to be at substantial risk for HIV will be eligible for PrEP at no cost.  It will initially be available in several STI clinics and hospitals, with €5.4 million allocated in Budget 2020 this week for the full rollout of the programme next year.  Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the introduction of the programme “will reduce the number of people who contract HIV in future”.  The full PrEP treatment (pre-exposure prophylaxis) will involve the pre-emptive use of antiretroviral medication and regular monitoring and testing, as well as advice and counselling on safer sex practices.  A health technology assessment of the drug by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found PrEP is safe and highly effective at preventing HIV in people at substantial risk, and also found the introduction of a PrEP programme would be cost-saving.  Several LGBTQ+ organisations had campaigned for the medication to be available through the public health service in recent years.  “PrEP is just one element of our response to reducing HIV rates; we’ve also prioritised increasing awareness and HIV testing,” Mr Varadkar said.  Minister for Health Simon Harris said the introduction of the programme was a “really important milestone”, and that PrEP would “save lives”.  “For decades we have confined conversations about HIV to the shadows. Those living with HIV have felt stigmatised and shamed; today, all that changes,” he said on Thursday.  The programme will initially be available in a number of hospitals, including the STI Guide Clinic in St James’s Hospital, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Galway, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, and Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise.  Dr Fiona Lyons, consultant in HIV medicine at the St James’s Hospital STI clinic, welcomed access to the medication “without charge to those who are at substantial risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact”.  Dr Lyons said PrEP was an “important part of the HIV prevention jigsaw puzzle” which should reduce the number of new infections.  In recent years the rate of new HIV diagnoses has increased in Ireland. In 2018 there was 531 new cases recorded, an 8 per cent increase on the previous year, according to figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.  Male-to-male sexual transmission accounts for more than half of cases, and an estimated 7,000 people are living with HIV in Ireland.  Information on the availability of PrEP can be found at www.sexualwellbeing.ie/prep


theirishtimes--2019-12-06--More than 200,000 children on waiting lists for health care services

Almost 215,000 children are on waiting lists for health care services, according to figures from the HSE.  There are 90,000 children waiting for community health care services, which includes 19,000 children waiting for speech and language therapy.  The figures were released to Fianna Fáil’s health spokesman Stephen Donnelly in response to a series of parliamentary questions.  Waiting lists in North Dublin are the highest in the country, with 2,400 children awaiting speech and language therapy. This compares to just ten children on a waiting list for speech and language therapy in Dún Laoghaire and none in Dublin South East.  There are more than 7,000 children and teenagers waiting to see a psychologist, rising by almost 20 per cent in the past year.  There are 117,000 children on hospital waiting lists according to the latest information from the HSE, which brings the total number of children waiting for public health care to 214,737.  Mr Donnelly said there is a “massive lottery post code” when it comes to children’s health services.  The Wicklow and East Carlow TD told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on Friday the figures are a “dark stain on the country”.  He added that Fianna Fáil has solutions to offer, such as ending the hiring embargo, equalising salaries for new entry level doctors and the need to open up diagnostic services.  He pointed out that 30 radiographers had been approved for Temple Street Hospital, but that only 19 had been hired. “The funding is there, but they cannot hire the extra 11 needed,” he said.  “Children cannot be allowed wait like this.”  When asked about the timing of the next general election, Mr Donnelly said that it would be “in the next few months” and that “the country cannot wait”.  He dismissed comments by his party colleague John McGuinness who said he will vote against the Government if a motion of no confidence is brought forward in the New Year. Mr Donnelly said that Mr McGuinness’s position “does not matter.”


thetelegraph--2019-01-16--We need to rethink what the NHS can provide - Telegraph readers on future-proofing the health serv

'We need to rethink what the NHS can provide' - Telegraph readers on future-proofing the health service

We've all been there; filled with dread as the receptionist (who is obviously not to blame) informs you that there are no GP appointments available for next three weeks and the only one after that falls, inconveniently, bang in the middle of your working morning at 9:45am.  While it's not exactly news to most that waiting times for GP appointments in the UK have become increasingly lengthy, it nevertheless remains an issue that affects large swathes of the country. The NHS requires future-proofing more than ever to continue serving a growing population effectively, so it comes as no surprise that a new generation of tech is being created to help improve it.  Last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock unveiled the NHS Long Term Plan and promised the health service would be harnessing new technology over the next 10 years to improve the quality and speed of diagnoses. Skype is one such example. The Microsoft-owned video messaging platform will be used to conduct 90 million outpatient hospital appointments, rather than holding them in person. While it might seem fairly mundane in comparison to some of the futuristic tech on the horizon (like robots that can detect depression, smartphone ultrasounds for diagnosis on the go, and a DNA test to spot cancer), Skype, and platforms like it, could provide a swift solution to a debilitating everyday problem for doctors and patients alike.


thetelegraph--2019-02-14--NHS targets have had their day says health service chief as he claims they encourage gaming

NHS targets 'have had their day' says health service chief as he claims they encourage 'gaming'

NHS targets “have had their day” the head of the health service has said - on the day Accident & Emergency performance slumped to the worst level on record.  Lord Prior, chairman of NHS England, signalled plans to abolish the key measure, as records showed just 84.4 per cent of patients treated or admitted in four hours, against a 95 per cent target.  The performance for January is the worst since the target was introduced in 2004.  Lord Prior - a former health minister - yesterday suggested central ditkats had damaged patient care, encouraging “gaming” so that NHS trusts could appear to perform well, instead of prioritising patients for clinical reasons.  “We have had 15 years of this top-down target-driven culture that has driven the NHS. The degree of pressure to hit targets is something I have never encountered in the private sector, the unnuanced level of these targets.  “Of course the gaming that has developed around these targets and the bad behaviour…go to any A&E department and everyone measures the time…you get to 3 hours 55 minutes and all hell hits. Everyone runs around like headless chickens to get them out or get them through or discharge them before the four hours,” he told an event by think tank Reform.  “Targets have had their day I think,” he said. “They have encouraged this top-down, hierarchical control in the NHS which has been very damaging for the culture, and very bad for getting clinicians involved and engaged.”  The Tory peer also said that attempts to encourage competition within the NHS had been “deeply damaging” and had “failed almost totally”.  Lord Prior said many had feared that reforms by then health secretary Andrew Lansley would lead to privatisation.  In fact, he said there has been little change in NHS use of the private sector, but he said the structures introduced as a result of the changes had created a “dysfunctional” and “deliberately fragmented” system.  “I see the NHS long-term plan as putting it back together again. Where people work together not against each other,” said Lord Prior, who said that the NHS would “go bust in 10 years” if it did not invest in efforts to look after people outside hospital.  He made the comments as official data for January showed the worst NHS A&E performance on recor, wiht almost 84,000 patients waiting at least four hours.  NHS England is currently reviewing its clinical targets including the requirement that 95 per cent of all patients attending A&E are treated, admitted or discharged within four hours.  Its chief executive Simon Stevens has said changes are likely to mean a shorter waiting time target for treating conditions such as stroke, heart attack and sepsis, meaning those with less critical needs will need to wait longer.  The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), which represents 8,000 emergency medicine clinicians, has said that abolishing the four-hour target would have a “near-catastrophic impact on patient safety".  Nuffield Trust chief economist Professor John Appleby said the NHS was “fighting a losing battle” in its efforts to provide timely healthcare.  "The proportion of patients spending more than four hours in A&E has risen to 15.6 per cent in January - the highest ever in this set of data.  "Only two major emergency departments in England met the four-hour target and attendances have risen by an astonishing 85,000 compared with January last year, increasing through the winter when they would usually fall,” he said.  "Last year, there was widespread concern as we saw trolley waits balloon, yet today's figures show an even higher level,” he said.  An NHS spokesman said thousands more people had been successfully treated in A&E within four hours, amid a 3.85 per cent rise in attendances this December and  January, compared with last winter.


usnews--2019-11-08--UK Plans Fast-Track Visas for Migrants Working in Health Service

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it would make it easier for migrants to move to the United Kingdom to work in the National Health Service (NHS), helping to offset a possible fall in numbers caused by the exit from the European Union.  The Conservative government is planning to bring in an Australian-style points-based system in 2021 after leaving the EU in a bid to get tighter control of immigration, an issue which commentators said was a major factor in Britons voting for Brexit three years ago.  The future of the NHS is one of the key issues in the campaign for Britain's general election next month.  About 153,000 of 1.2 million health workers are non-British, and critics have said the end of freedom of movement for EU citizens after Brexit would deprive the NHS, one of the world's largest employers, of a vital pool of workers.  At the same time, it was feared that many medical staff who come from other areas of the globe, especially nurses, would fail to meet the strict salary requirements of the new system. About 52,000 of current NHS staff are Asian nationals.  The government said the new NHS Visa would allow it to control immigration while ensuring there would not be a skills shortage for the health service.  "These measures are part of our plan for an Australian-style points-based immigration system that allows us to control numbers while remaining open to vital professions like nurses," Home Secretary (interior minister) Priti Patel said in a statement.  "That means the best of both worlds - attracting talent from around the world so our NHS continues to provide brilliant service while ensuring that it isn't put under strain by opening Britain's borders to the entire world."  The plan to relax rules for NHS staff comes after Britain said in August it would relax immigration rules to attract more scientists.


usnews--2019-11-27--Labour's Corbyn Accuses Johnson of Offering up UK Health Service in U.S. Talks

LONDON (Reuters) - Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn offered on Wednesday what he described as evidence that access to Britain's health service was being discussed in trade talks with the United States, handing reporters hundreds of pages of documents.  Johnson has repeatedly denied that Britain's National Health Service is on the table in such talks, but Corbyn said he had copies of leaked documents from UK-US Trade and Investment working groups that proved otherwise.  The NHS, much loved in Britain, has become a key fighting ground before an election on Dec. 12, called to try to break the deadlock in parliament over the country's departure from the European Union that has muddied traditional political loyalties.  Corbyn may also be keen to shift the narrative to the NHS and away from criticism on Tuesday over what Britain's chief rabbi said was his failure to stem anti-Semitism in his party that had allowed "a new poison" to take root in Labour.  Corbyn, who has argued that Johnson's Conservatives will allow the United States to increase drug prices as part of a post-Brexit trade deal, said he had 451 pages of unredacted documents on talks between the two countries.  "Perhaps he (Johnson) would like to explain why these documents confirm the U.S. is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks," he told a news conference.


newsbiscuit--2019-10-16--World Health Organisation names children as most prevalent STD

The World Health Organisation today issued a stark warning in a bid to curb the spread of a virulent sexually transmitted disease which it described as having reached ‘epidemic proportions’. This particularly unpleasant and hard-to-shake-off disease is known as ‘children’ (medical name, fuckersi minoris) and it is reported to have caused severe distress and discomfort for billions of people around the world.  ‘Every day, we see more and more people suffering from this debilitating condition,’ said Dr Hans Biermann, WHO spokesman for sexual health. ‘We’ve managed to keep some sort of control over the less serious STDs like herpes and chlamydia, but the problem of children just seems to get worse and worse every year.’  Dr Biermann went on to describe the symptoms to look out for if people suspect that they are suffering from children. ‘In women, the first warning signs include early morning vomiting and irritability, but as the disease progresses it causes a large, disfiguring swelling of the abdomen and then an unusual vaginal discharge around nine months after infection. And that’s just the beginning.’  ‘In men,’ he continued, ‘the early symptoms tend to be palpitations and extreme anxiety, but after several years it can cause insomnia, severe financial haemorrhaging, as well as feelings of sexual frustration and murderous rage at the loss of a carefree life.’  Dr Biermann urged people to get checked out for children regularly and to seek urgent medical attention if they suspect they have contracted the disease. ‘The key is to stop transmission,’ he said. ‘Children is an incurable disease, so people should be doing everything they can to stop themselves developing an unsightly growth that gets bigger and bigger and ultimately will remain with them for life. The last thing anyone would want is to pass something like this on to the next generation.’


pinknewsuk--2019-05-27--World Health Organisation drops transgender from list of mental disorders

Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world  The World Health Organisation (WHO) will no longer categorise being transgender as a mental health condition, a move which has the potential to “liberate” trans and non-binary people worldwide.  The decision was approved on Friday (May 25) by the World Health Assembly, the WHO governing body that represents 194 member states, and should now trickle down into national policies.  Human rights groups say that the reclassification could give people an easier route to legal transition by removing any requirements for a medical diagnosis.  “The World Health Organisation’s removal of ‘gender identity disorder’ from its diagnostic manual will have a liberating effect on transgender people worldwide,” said Graeme Reid, LGBT rights director at Human Rights Watch.  “Governments should swiftly reform national medical systems and laws that require this now officially outdated diagnosis.”  Reid argued that while mental health issues play no part in a person’s gender identity, the oppression of trans people can cause suffering.  “Transgender people are fighting stigma and discrimination that can be traced in part to medical systems that have historically diagnosed expressions of gender non-conformity as a mental pathology,” he said.  “But it’s the stigma, discrimination, and bullying—and not anything inherent in gender nonconformity—that can inflict mental health problems in transgender people.”  According to Jack Drescher, a psychiatrist whose work deals with sexuality and gender, “there is substantial evidence that the stigma associated with the intersection of transgender status and mental disorders contributes to precarious legal status, human rights violations and barriers to appropriate health care for this population.”  While the WHO’s new stance on gender has been applauded, intersex-led groups have taken offence to its treatment of intersex people.  The updated International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) introduces language which describes intersex variations as “disorders of sex development.”  “This will cause continuing harm to people born with variations of sex characteristics,” read a joint statement of 65 intersex groups released before the ICD-11 was approved on May 23.  The statement goes on to argue that “some current materials in the ICD-11 Foundation are associated with medical procedures that fail to meet human rights norms,” such as surgeries performed on intersex children.  The United Kingdom is one of 33 European countries which require a mental health diagnosis in order to change a person’s gender marker, according to Transgender Europe.  The Government has pledged to reform the Gender Recognition Act, which could remove this requirement.  A consultation was carried out in 2018, with a response expected imminently.  LGBT+ groups have campaigned for the UK to follow the lead of countries including Norway, Ireland, France, Portugal and Greece, which permit individuals to self-identify their gender.  In the US, trans rights vary from state to state. In California, people can apply for a new ID card or driver’s licence through self-certification. At the other end of the spectrum, states including Ohio will not change a person’s gender on their birth certificate under any circumstance.


thedailymirror--2019-05-27--Gaming addiction named as official disease by World Health Organisation

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has made gaming addiction an official disease.  It has been characterised by the public health body as an excessive or compulsive use of computer or video game - to the extent that it affects a person's daily life.  The revision to its Classification of Diseases was approved by all 194 members of the WHO and it will come into effect on January 1, 2022.  The WHO say a person to be diagnosed with a video game addiction must show behaviour "of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning".  It hopes medics will become more aware of the addiction and sufferers will receive better treatment, reports Sky News .  The move has been criticised by some in the gaming industry, who say not enough academic research has been carried out on the subject.  A statement from the Global Video Game Industry Associations read: "We are concerned [the WHO] reached their conclusion without the consensus of the academic community.  "The consequences of today's action could be far-reaching, unintended, and to the detriment of those in need of genuine help."  Earlier this year, a Mirror investigation found children as young as 11 are being taken into care over fears they are addicted to games, while recent studies have also revealed that kids are spending twice as much time using gadgets and phones as they do speaking to their parents.  Gaming is not just for children though. Around 32.4 million people in the UK play computer games, the vast majority enjoying the stunning graphics and gameplay safely.  But fears over their addictive qualities were increased when the World Health Organisation classified “gaming disorder” as a mental health condition last year.  The UK games industry has a market value of £5.11billion – a 12.4% rise from 2016 – but it is now being blamed for children blowing GCSE exams, students dropping out of university and adults failing to hold down jobs.  Dr Graham, who is clinical director at Good Thinking: The London Digital Mental Wellbeing Service, adds: “The problems develop when it becomes the focus of your life and you prioritise it above anything, getting into conflict with people around you, perhaps deceiving yourself and them as to the extent of it.  “It is much harder to break an established habit so it is important to learn how to get the most out of these wonderful technologies while knowing when to stop.  “But I don’t demonise game playing because you can be a very enthusiastic gamer and still get up to go to school and do your homework.”


theindependent--2019-01-21--World Health Organisation explodes myth that refugees spread disease

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has dispelled the myth that refugees coming to Europe are spreading disease.  In its first report on the health of migrants and refugees, the WHO found there was no increased transmission of illnesses between refugees and those living in the countries they settle in.  The research, which summarises a review of more than 13,000 documents, was developed in partnership with the Italian National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP) and also found that migrants are at a lower risk of getting all forms of cancer, except cervical.  The report did however say that refugees are at a greater risk of developing diseases because of their exposure to infections due to poor living conditions and the lack of healthcare access during the migration process.  In light of the findings Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, the regional director for Europe for the WHO, said political and social systems across the continent were struggling to rise to the challenge of responding to migration in a “humane and positive way”.  “As migrants and refugees become more vulnerable than the host population to the risk of developing both noncommunicable and communicable diseases, it is necessary that they receive timely access to quality health services, as everyone else,” Dr Jakab said.  “This is the best way to save lives and cut treatment costs, as well as protect the health of the resident citizens.”  The research also found that in some European countries citizens were estimating that there are three or four times more migrants than there really are.  The findings come amid a recent influx of refugees attempting to travel to the UK on small boats.  The small inflatable boat had eight males on board who claimed to be Iranian.  The Home Office said the group was given a medical assessment and will now be interviewed by immigration officials.


theindependent--2019-01-31--Dozens of children dying of hypothermia at Syrian refugee camp warns World Health Organisation

Dozens of children dying of hypothermia at Syrian refugee camp, warns World Health Organisation

At least 29 children are reported to have died in an overcrowded refugee camp in northeastern Syria over the last two months, mostly from hypothermia, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.  Around 23,000 people have arrived at al-Hol camp after fleeing fighting in Deir ez-Zor between Isis and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the Kurdish YPG militia.  The influx has swelled the population of the camp, which is unheated and has a shortage of health care services, tents and sanitation facilities.  “The situation in al-Hol camp is heartbreaking. Children are dying from hypothermia as their families flee to safety,” Elizabeth Hoff, WHO representative in Syria, said in a statement on Thursday.  The United Nations agency appealed for unhindered access to the camp, saying the situation had become “critical” for 33,000 people, mainly women and children, who now live there in bitterly cold winter weather.  Many of those who had been displaced by the fighting walked or travelled in open trucks for days, arriving malnourished and exhausted “following years of deprivation” living under the control of Isis, it said.  “Thousands of new arrivals have been forced to spend several nights in the camp’s open-air reception and screening areas, without tents, blankets or heating,” the WHO added.  WHO-supported teams are working around the clock in the camp to screen new arrivals, support vaccination and refer severely malnourished children to a hospital in al-Hasakah, it said.  “Humanitarian access to the camp and surrounding roads is hampered by bureaucratic obstacles and security constraints,” it added, appealing to all parties to provide unhindered access for to people needing life-saving aid.


theindependent--2019-04-24--Under-twos should not have screen time World Health Organisation says

Under-twos should not have screen time, World Health Organisation says

Toddlers and young children should have no more than one hour of sedentary screen time a day, according to new advice from the World Health Organisation.  The guidelines suggest a 60-minute limit for those aged between two and five-years-old.  It also recommends babies and toddlers avoid any sedentary screen time, including watching TV or sitting still playing games on devices, until the age of two.  The guidance, designed to help national policymakers, also includes advice on physical activity and sleep for under-fives.  “For the greatest health benefits, infants and young children should meet all the recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep in a 24-hour period,” the report states. “Replacing restrained or sedentary screen time with more moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, while preserving sufficient sleep, can provide additional health benefits.”  Dr Max Davie, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the guidelines are “useful benchmarks” for families, but warned they should be interpreted with caution.  Advice published by the organisation in January suggested parents should avoid letting children use their technology an hour before bed time, and recommended parents set agreed screen-time limits.  The UK’s four chief medical officers have also advised banning phones from bedtimes and mealtimes.  “The restricted screen-time limits suggested by the WHO do not seem proportionate to the potential harm,” Dr Davie said.  “Our research has shown that currently there is not strong enough evidence to support the setting of screen-time limits, and that screen use should be considered alongside a range of activities to assess its impact.  “Also, it is difficult to see how a household with mixed-age children can shield a baby from any screen exposure at all, as is recommended.”  Professor Andrew Przybylski, from the University of Oxford, said the report “represents a missed opportunity” for the WHO.  “On the basis of common sense many of the recommendations make sense but in many ways the conclusions drawn about screens are out of step with scientific evidence of harm,” he said. “None would contest the fact that increasing physical activity, sleep, and health are important goals and it is possible that screens impact young people in a wide range of ways but we won’t know that until good scientific studies are done.”  The new WHO guidance states that children under the age of one should not have sedentary screen time.  Children aged one to two years old should spend at least 180 minutes being active and 11 to 14 hours sleeping, it states. Sedentary screen time is not advised for one-year-olds, and less than 60 minutes is suggested for two-year-olds.  Children aged three to four should spend at least 180 minutes being physically active, including 60 minutes at moderate-to-vigorous intensity, and sleep for 10 to 13 hours, the report states.  Sedentary screen time should be no more than one hour for those in this age group, and “less is better”.


theindependent--2019-05-14--World Health Organisation accidentally endorses anti-vaxx website

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has accidentally endorsed an anti-vaccination group.  The body said it was “supporting the Vaccine Information Network (Vine)”, in a Facebook  post which also discussed the benefits of inoculation.  “We can stop measles. Measles is preventable through two doses of a safe and effective vaccine,” the post read.  The site’s users were quick to point out that the group promoted anti-vaccination conspiracy theories.  “Check your support,” wrote one commenter. “They are anti-vaxx.”  Vine hosts a range of adverts from groups, including some saying the “modern medical system is essentially mafia-controlled” and others accusing officials of “scientific fraud”.  The WHO’s Facebook post was later amended.  “Vaccine rejection is a serious and growing public health timebomb,” Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, has previously said.  Mr Stevens has said he believes social-media firms should take a zero-tolerance approach towards “dangerous and inaccurate scare stories.”  Anti-vaccination groups have been blamed for some British parents refusing to allow their children be inoculated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).  Children need two doses of the combined vaccination to be protected against MMR and the NHS recommends that both doses are administered before a child starts school.  The WHO has said that 95% of children in the UK should be vaccinated for herd immunity to be achieved but uptake of the second dose is only at 88%.  Outbreaks of measles have risen in the UK in recent years.  In 2017 there were 259 cases diagnosed in England. By 2019 the number of cases had risen to 966.  Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has said he “wouldn’t rule out anything” when asked if unvaccinated children should be banned from schools.  The MP has also said that people promoting anti-vaccination myths “are morally reprehensible, deeply irresponsible and have blood on their hands.”


theindependent--2019-05-28--aposBurn-outapos recognised as chronic condition by World Health Organisation

'Burn-out' recognised as chronic condition by World Health Organisation

Burn-out is a phrase you might’ve heard banded around over the years to describe feeling physically and emotionally run down.  While some could’ve been tempted to dismiss burn-out as millennial jargon, it has now been added to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, meaning that it will become a globally-recognised medical condition as of 2020.  The WHO defines burn-out as “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”.  It characterises the condition with the following symptoms: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.  The WHO only refers to such feelings within work environments and clarifies that burn-out should not be applied to describe symptoms caused by other life situations.  A spokesperson for the WHO told Agence Presse France on Monday that it’s the “first time” burnout has been classified as a medical condition by any official health body.  The phrase “burn-out syndrome” is credited to German-born psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, who used the term in a 1974 study of the condition.  Freudenberger analysed the phenomenon after he observed it in some of his colleagues, who described themselves as being “burnt out” and later also experienced it himself.  The psychologist described the state of being burnt out as “becoming exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength, or resources”.  In January 2019, a Buzzfeed article titled How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation went viral. Writer Anne Helen Peterson was praised for accurately describing how and why the condition is impacting people aged 18 to 34 and in some cases rendering them emotionally and physically paralysed.  However, unlike the WHO, Peterson recognises burn-out in areas outside of the workplace, writing: “Burnout and the behaviours and weight that accompany it aren’t, in fact, something we can cure by going on vacation.  “It’s not limited to workers in acutely high-stress environments. And it’s not a temporary affliction: It’s the millennial condition. It’s our base temperature. It’s our background music. It’s the way things are. It’s our lives.”


theindependent--2019-05-28--Transgender no longer classified as aposmental disorderapos by World Health Organisation

Transgender no longer classified as 'mental disorder' by World Health Organisation

The World Health Organisation (WHO) no longer categorises being transgender as a "mental disorder".  On Saturday 25 May, the health agency approved an update to its International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), a manual used globally to diagnose diseases.  The decision to remove transgender identities from the ICD-11's classification of mental disorders was announced by WHO in June last year.  The update has now been approved via a vote held by the World Health Assembly, the WHO's governing body which represents the organisation's 194 member states.  The changes to the health manual will come into effect on 1 January 2022.  The ICD-11 update has re-named "gender identity disorders" to be titled "gender incongruence".  "Gender incongruence" is now listed under a chapter on "sexual health", as opposed to "mental disorders".  The WHO's decision to no longer classify being transgender as a mental disorder has been hailed by several LGBT+ activists.  "The WHO's removal of 'gender identity disorder' from its diagnostic manual will have a liberating effect on transgender people worldwide," said Graeme Reid LGBT+ rights director at Human Rights Watch.  "Governments should swiftly reform national medical systems and laws that require this now officially outdated diagnosis."  Micah Grzywnowicz, co-chair of the executive board of LGBT+ advocacy group ILGA-Europe, said the update to ICD-11 "represents a monumental shift in the global health for trans and gender diverse people".  "Both the old category names and their corresponding content represent a history laden with struggle, oppression, forced medicalisation, stigma, and marginalisation experienced by trans and gender diverse people in the context of healthcare," Grzywnowicz added.  However, a joint statement from 65 intersex groups released by Intersex Human Rights Australia states that the update to the ICD-11 manual may cause "harm to people born with variations of sex characteristics".  "The ICD-11 introduces normative language to describe intersex variations as 'disorders of sex development'," the statement reads.  The intersex groups are calling on WHO to "reform nomenclature and classifications to ensure that they do not facilitate human rights violations".


theindependent--2019-05-28--World Health Organisationaposs recognition of traditional Chinese medicine aposcould push specie

World Health Organisation's recognition of traditional Chinese medicine 'could push species into extinction'

Conservationists have accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of rubber-stamping the extinction of endangered species by adopting hundreds of traditional Chinese remedies in its international guidelines.  Many such remedies make use of animal parts and this has long put pressure on endangered species such as jaguars, pangolins and rhinos.  On Saturday the WHO’s World Health Assembly recognised traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnoses for 400 conditions in its influential International Classification of Disease list.  Campaigners including big cat conservation group Panthera, the Environmental Investigations Agency and Wildlife Conservation Trust have warned that recognition from a body as influential as the WHO could result in a rapid depletion of species with healthy populations.  But the WHO insisted it opposed the use of animal parts and supported international protections for endangered species.  John Goodrich, chief scientist and director of Panthera’s tiger programme, said any recognition would be seen globally “as a stamp of approval” for all types of TCM, including the use of wild animal parts.  “Failure to specifically condemn the use of traditional Chinese medicine utilising wild animal parts is egregiously negligent and irresponsible,” he added.  “Taken with China’s recent proliferation of traditional Chinese medicine around the globe, WHO’s decision could contribute to the end of many species on the brink of extinction, like the tiger.”  The WHO decision comes a month after the largest ever shipment of illegally smuggled pangolin scales was seized in Singapore en route to Vietnam, and a 30-tonne haul of pangolin parts was discovered in Malaysia.  While leading TCM bodies have phased out the use of wild animal parts, conservationists say that even highly regulated, legal breeding programmes provide cover for the illegal trafficking of endangered species.  China recently announced it would drop a decades-long ban on the trade of tiger bone and rhino horn.  The change was postponed after international outcry with leading conservation groups warning its effects would be “devastating globally”.  Wildlife Conservation Trust president Anish Andheria said the WHO decision “ignored the compelling data” that showed the wildlife trade also increased deaths among rangers and other frontline conservation staff and forest-dwelling communities.  A WHO spokesperson added: “Inclusion in the ICD does not mean we recommend or condone the use of animal parts such as rhinoceros horns. WHO recommends the enforcement of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which protects rhinos, tigers and other species.”


theindependent--2019-11-22--Four in five teenagers not doing enough exercise, says World Health Organisation

Four out of five teenagers in the UK are not doing enough exercise, according to a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO).  Girls were found to lag behind boys in staying active, a trend one of the researcher’s described as “concerning”.  The figures are the first global estimates on physical activity among 11 to 17-year-olds, involving 1.6 million students from 146 countries.  Worldwide, girls on average were found to be less active than boys, with 84.7 per cent failing to reach the recommended exercise targets, which is slightly lower than the UK figure of 85.4 per cent.  Globally, 77.6 per cent of boys were reported as being too sedentary. The UK figure was 74.7 per cent.  Dr Leanne Riley, a researcher at the WHO and one of the study authors, said: “The trend of girls being less active than boys is concerning.  “More opportunities to meet the needs and interests of girls are needed to attract and sustain their participation in physical activity through adolescence and into adulthood.”  The WHO recommends adolescents take part in an hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – which can include walking, cycling or playing games – each day.  The new analysis, published in Lancet Adolescent And Child Health, found that 81 per cent of students around the world are not meeting these requirements.  Boys in the Philippines (93 per cent) and girls in South Korea (97 per cent) were found to be the most inactive in the study. Although Bangladesh had the lowest levels of inactivity for boys and girls, figures showed two in three children (66 per cent) were not doing an hour a day of exercise.  The authors said levels of insufficient physical activity in adolescents continued to be extremely high, raising concerns about their current and future health.  Dr Regina Guthold, a WHO researcher and one of the study authors, said: “Urgent policy action to increase physical activity is needed now, particularly to promote and retain girls’ participation in physical activity.”  Writing in a linked comment in the journal, Dr Mark Tremblay, of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute in Canada, said physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for premature death worldwide.  He said: “The electronic revolution has fundamentally transformed people’s movement patterns by changing where and how they live, learn, work, play and travel, progressively isolating them indoors.  “People sleep less, sit more, walk less frequently, drive more regularly and do less physical activity than they used to.”


activistpost--2019-02-02--Amid Civil Unrest Internet Shutdowns are Making Zimbabwes Economic Crisis Worse

Amid Civil Unrest, Internet Shutdowns are Making Zimbabwe’s Economic Crisis Worse

Following the January 12 declaration of an official fuel price hike in Zimbabwe, civil unrest and political paranoia has rocked the nation.  President Emmerson Mnanagagwa announced that fuel prices at $1.30 USD per liter would go up by 150 percent, making Zimbabwe’s fuel among the most expensive in the world. The next day he left for a five-day tour of Russia and Eastern Europe, purportedly in search of investment deals. Chaos and anarchy broke out the following Monday.  The military was immediately deployed to quell protests after angry mobs looted and set ablaze several supermarkets and chain stores. Reports of state agents gunning down unarmed civilians circulated on social media before the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) completely shut down the Internet and all forms of social media from January 14-January 20, 2019.  During the 6-day Internet blackout, business literally came to a halt as traders and investors remained uncertain over the economy’s trajectory.  Following State Security minister Owen Ncube’s decision to shut down the Internet, human rights lawyers prepared and submitted an urgent court application to rescind the action.  The High Court ruled on January 21, 2019, that Ncube did not have the authority to compel mobile operators to cut off services. Judge Owen Tagu told the court that the minister had no authority to make the directive and ordered telecommunications firms “to unconditionally resume the provision of full and unrestricted services to all subscribers forthwith.”  The court order cited laws that exclusively endow the president with the right to shut down Internet services.  Government spokesperson George Charamba told state-controlled papers that the government would not stand by while “such narrow interests play out so violently.”  “The response so far is just a foretaste of things to come,” said Charamba via the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. He continued:  The internet was the tool used to coordinate the violence. But is it not interesting how when we are carrying our dead to the cemetery, at a time when we are counting losses that run into millions of dollars, someone is worried about the internet? You expect us to preserve the internet and ensure that there is maximum damage to our society?  Dhewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa Director with the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch, told Global Voices that the Internet shutdown was a gross violation of human rights as such action disrupts daily life and business transactions. The majority of Zimbabweans rely on mobile money for everyday services. Mavhinga explained:  The Internet remains a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economic activity. With sky-high rates of unemployment and underemployment, most entrepreneurs rely on the Internet and social media platforms such as Twitter and WhatsApp to market their products and services.  Since the shutdown, Zimbabwean small businesses have lost an estimated $12.5 million a day, according to think tank TheBehaviourReport.com.  Social media has remained critical to informing citizens as the state-run media outlets remain biased in favor of the ruling party, ZANU PF. During the course of the shutdown, state media barely reported the disturbances.  “I feel that these people in government suppressed our right to freedom of speech and expression,” said Allan Chino, a 21-year-old youth. He continues:  Thousands of citizens who just wanted to be safe and stay informed were left stranded.  Adolf Mavheneke, a human rights activist, said that it was naïve to think that the recent Internet shutdown was done by the minister without the knowledge, confirmation and acknowledgment from the president.  “That a minister appointed by Mnangagwa proceeded to effect the order against legal prudence, confirms how the man is ever prepared to dump the national constitution and proceed with political whim,” he added.  Mavheneke said that while acknowledging that freedom of expression as expressed under Section 61 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution is not an absolute right, the Internet shutdown sets a bad precedent and will leave a scar on the future of citizens’ freedom and human rights:  In fact, these were and remains self-made attempts to hide state-sponsored violence as everything now happened under the cover of the internet and social media darkness. And the record is also clear on cases where the military and other state security agents went on the rampage during the internet blackout. The future of human rights in Zimbabwe remains a sad reality because we have a leadership that … is prepared to push for legitimacy through the crack of the barrel and the bullet. He noted that in the aftermath of a disputed election in November 2017, Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga authorized the use of military force against protesters, and six civilians who were not part of the protests were gunned down. A Commission of Inquiry exonerated Mnangagwa and his administration but also recommended restraint and observance of the rule of law. Therefore, the recent use of soldiers to thwart anti-government protests is illegal and in violation of Zimbabwe’s constitution. “Sooner or later, if this factor is not kept at bay it will consume even those who unleashed it in the first place,” he said. A young woman who requested anonymity said the violation of citizens’ communicative space by the government was terrifying: You know what the most scary thing is? It’s not the fuel price increases, it’s not the looming hunger. It’s not about the communication shutdown between friends and families. Neither is it about the soldiers going out to maim and kill innocent civilians. No. The most scary thing is that these guys in government are convinced that they are doing a good job of running this country. Kudzai Chimhangwa is an investigative and business journalist with years of experience. He has worked in Zimbabwe and Namibia with independent publications and also participated in international media training programs in Germany and Belgium under the auspices of DW Akademie. He enjoys the thrills and spills that come with media work. This article was sourced from Global Voices.    Free ebook How To Survive the Job Automation Apocalypse Free ebook How To Get Started with Bitcoin: Quick and Easy Beginner’s Guide Subscription is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL   Free Report: How To Survive The Job Automation Apocalypse with subscription


activistpost--2019-07-02--Americas Concealed Crisis Fifty Years of Economic Decline 1969 to 2019

America’s Concealed Crisis: Fifty Years of Economic Decline, 1969 to 2019

If we consider the long term, it’s clear America’s economy and society have been declining for the average household for 50 years.  What if the “prosperity” of the past 50 years is mostly a statistical mirage for the bottom 80% of households? What if whatever real gains (adjusted for real-world loss of purchasing power) accrued only to the top of the wealth-power pyramid, those closest to financial and political power? What if the U.S. economy and society shifted from “everybody wins” to “winner takes all” or at best, “winner take most”?  These are not “what if”, they’re reality. The working class, which as I have recently noted, now comprises the entire working populace other than the upper-middle class Misplaced Pride: Most of the “Middle Class” Is Actually Working Class (June 14, 2019), has lost ground over the past 50 years, from 1969 to the present.  The keys to understanding the concealed crisis of decline are purchasing power relative to wages/earnings–how many goods and services can wages buy? For the average American household, wages have risen modestly while the purchasing power of those wages has plummeted.  Furthermore, the quality of goods and services has in many cases declined sharply, so that even if prices have dropped, what you get for your money has fallen even further, effectively reducing the purchasing power of your wages.  Case in point: appliances were once designed and built to last a generation or longer. Refrigerators, washers and dryers lasted for decades. Now the average appliance fails within a few years, and the electronic board–costing roughly a third of the entire appliance price–fails and must be replaced. With labor, the cost of the repair is so high, consumers often send the almost-new appliance to the landfill and buy a new (and soon to fail) appliance.  Net-net, low quality reduces purchasing power even if price has declined.  Then there’s the big-ticket items: rent, housing, college, healthcare. Anecdotally, I’ve been told a young engineer in Silicon Valley could earn $20,000 a year and rent a modest apartment for $200. Now the young engineer makes $100,000 but rent for the modest flat is $2,500 per month: wages rose five-fold but rent rose 12-fold.  This is a staggering loss of purchasing power.  As for college, tens of millions of students completed their university training with zero debt–student loan debt as we understand it today simply didn’t exist because it was unnecessary.  The scarcity value of that college diploma has fallen precipitously over the decades, rendering most degrees that aren’t part of artificial scarcity schemes essentially valueless.  As for healthcare: we now have $100,000 operations that work miracles on one side and people being bankrupted by costs on the other, and tens of thousands dying of opioid drugs promoted by the status quo as “safe” and non-addictive. Where metabolic disorders (lifestyle diseases such as diabesity) were once a relative rarity, now up to a third of the entire population is at risk of chronic lifestyle diseases that are difficult and costly to manage–but oh so profitable to those delivering the meds and care.  Bottom line: how much housing, higher education and well-being does the average wage buy now compared to decades past? Not much. The statistics are bleak: wages are basically unchanged from the high water mark 50 years ago, which coincidentally was also the high water mark of U.S. energy production until very recently. Adjusted for purchasing power and quality, the average paycheck buys far less than it did 50 years ago.  Wages’ share of the national income has plummeted since the last secular expansion of wages in the Internet boom of the late 1990s.  The average household’s ownership of productive capital, and thus of financial security, has declined. There’s fewer assets within reach and those that are in reach have been reduced to a casino of booms and busts that wipes out all but the most agile gamblers.  If we consider the long term (la longue duree), it’s clear America’s economy and society have been declining for the average household for 50 years. Nobody wants to admit this because it’s politically inconvenient, to say the least. What do we make of a society in which only the top 5% have prospered in terms of their earnings buying more goods and services?  Meanwhile, everyone else has compensated for the sharp decline in purchasing power by going ever deeper into debt while the nation has decayed into a landfill economy.


activistpost--2019-08-20--11 Reasons Why So Many Experts Believe That A US Economic Crisis Is Imminent

11 Reasons Why So Many Experts Believe That A U.S. Economic Crisis Is Imminent

The numbers are telling us that we have never been closer to the next recession than we are right now.  The storm clouds that were gathering on the horizon are now directly above us, and suddenly the mainstream media is filled with stories about when the next recession will begin and the effect that this may have on President Trump’s chances of winning in 2020.  In fact, there has been so much chatter about this that even President Trump is talking about it.  All over television, experts are breathlessly speculating about when the coming recession will begin, and they are dispensing lots of advice about how people should be preparing for it.  So what evidence has led so many of these talking heads to come to such a conclusion?  Well, the following are 11 reasons why so many experts now believe that a U.S. economic crisis is imminent…  #1 Last week, the “spread between the U.S. 2-year and 10-year yields” turned negative for the very first time in 12 years.  An inversion of the yield curve has occurred prior to every single U.S. recession since the 1950s, and this is one of the most important economic signals that we have seen yet.  #2 U.S. consumer sentiment just fell to the lowest level that we have seen in all of 2019.  #3 74 percent of the economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics believe that a recession will begin in the United States by the end of 2021.  #4 U.S. industrial production just slipped back into contraction territory.  #5 The IHS Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index just fell to the lowest level that we have seen since September 2009.  #6 Just like we witnessed in 2008, fear and volatility have returned to Wall Street in a major way.  In fact, so far this month we have already seen the 4th and 7th largest single day point declines in U.S. stock market history.  #7 The total number of bankruptcy filings in the United States has been steadily shooting up, and it rose another 5 percent during the month of July.  #8 Major U.S. retailers continue to shut down more stores, and we have continued to stay on a pace that would break the all-time record for store closings in a single year.  #9 As I discussed yesterday, on a year over year basis U.S. freight shipment volume has now fallen for 8 months in a row.  #10 According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the probability that a recession will happen within the next 12 months is now the highest that it has been since the last financial crisis.  #11 President Trump is suggesting that the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates by 100 basis points and that the Fed should restart quantitative easing as soon as possible.  Both of those moves would be considered to be “emergency measures” that should only happen if a major economic downturn was imminent.  In that list, I didn’t even mention our rapidly escalating trade war with China.  The two largest economies on the entire planet are engaged in an extremely bitter trade dispute, and that alone has the potential to plunge the entire global economy into a very deep downturn.  On the surface, the Trump administration is trying to assure us that everything is going to be just fine, but behind the scenes they appear to be preparing for the worst.  For example, we have just learned that the Trump administration is actually considering pushing for an emergency payroll tax cut…  If the U.S. economy really was “booming”, an emergency payroll tax cut wouldn’t make any sense at all.  But if we are on the verge of a very serious economic crisis, then such a move would make perfect sense.  Of course the U.S. is definitely not the only major economy that is facing serious troubles.  In fact, signs of economic trouble have been emerging all over the globe lately…


activistpost--2019-10-10--Geopolitical Signals Of Global Economic Crisis Abound

As I write this, news feeds are buzzing with questions and confusion over the October US/China trade talks. In September there was a massive propaganda campaign within the mainstream media to push the notion that a deal with China was imminent, which boosted markets otherwise on the verge of a plunge due to a hailstorm of bad financial news. This media campaign also indicated to me that there would be no deal in October – best case, there will be an announcement of “progress” and a temporary pause in tariffs, which will fall apart once again in a month’s time. Worst case scenario, the talks will falter before they ever really begin. Either way, the trade war will continue well into next year.  As I predicted in my article ‘The Ugly Truth About The Trade War’ in September:  The trade war is only one of many major distractions being implemented at this time. While Trump plays his role for the globalist establishment as a bumbling populist villain and a Herbert Hoover clone, the sheer scope of events is becoming quite epic. This crash must be treated slightly different from the crash of 2008, because if we are to predict the pace of the implosion, we have to measure the number of geopolitical signals rather than just the financial signals.  That is to say, the globalists will trigger a Lehman Moment when there is enough geopolitical tension to keep the public mesmerized. In this way, they hope to conjure a “perfect storm”, one that can be blamed for the crisis they created. It would seem that as we close in on the end of 2019 we are very near to the avalanche…  Here I would like to briefly cover a number of developments that have accelerated in the past couple of weeks and give my take on what they mean to the liberty movement and the economy at large. Some people might question the idea that these events have economic implications. I suggest they look at the bigger picture. Much of what is happening today is engineered by the establishment not only as cover for the financial downturn, but also as partial fuel for collapse.  As I noted in my last article, Trump cannot be anti-globalist while working directly with global elites on a daily basis. The impeachment farce, like Russiagate, is carefully crafted 4th Generation warfare designed to keep leftists rabidly extreme while pushing conservatives fearful of a leftist takeover into the waiting arms of Trump, a puppet of the banking elites beholden to the Rothschild family for saving his fortune in the 1990s. The elites have no intention of getting rid of Trump at this time – he is too useful to them and their script, which requires an unstable conservative nationalist anti-globalist that eventually destroys the American economy.  The impeachment proceedings are far more likely to blow back on Joe Biden and remove him from the Democratic primaries, opening the door to an alternative candidate (probably Elizabeth Warren). With Bernie Sanders much too old and heart attack prone, Warren makes the most sense as the establishment choice for the 2020 Dem candidate.  Talk of Hillary Clinton entering the race as a kind of Cracker Jack candidate seems like Kabuki theater to me. Warren’s scandals are rather minor compared to Clinton’s, and really, the leftists don’t care anyway. Her lying about being fired from a job in the 1970s for a pregnancy will be forgotten well before November, especially in the event that we are in the middle of a 2008-level economic crash. Liberty movement activists should not get too worked up about Clinton, they should focus more on Warren, and overall, they should stop deluding themselves into thinking that the election matters in the slightest.  As for Trump’s impeachment, it will probably fall apart by the end of the Democratic primaries, but this in no way secures Trump’s presidency (for those that still actually think that Trump is on the side of the liberty movement). Trump’s role as president will only continue so long as the US economy limps forward. If we do see a Lehman moment before the election, then Trump is slated to be removed from office.  The only wild card scenario I could see taking place in terms of the impeachment is that it hangs on until the election and throughout the economic downturn, and is shockingly successful. In this case, Trump would be removed from office (potentially) just before he was about to lose the election anyway. Why would the establishment make such a move? Because it would galvanize both the left and the right into a possible widespread conflagration; more so that merely replacing Trump with someone like Warren.  Believe it or not, there are actually a minority of dummies in the liberty movement that want to fight a civil war over Trump. I suggest that it would be a strategic disaster to fight a civil war over a banker puppet that is TRYING to take credit for the market bubble and by default the crash. It would be the fastest way for the liberty movement to lose all credibility. If we do end up in a war, it should not be in the name of Trump and should be focused on the banking elites, not the Democrats. Beyond this, if the elites need a distraction and scapegoat for their controlled demolition of the economy, a mindless left/right civil war would be more than enough to do the trick.  US/China Trade War On The Edge Of Something More Dangerous  The trade war has lasted for around 22 months; far longer than most analysts in the mainstream and alternative media predicted. Do not be surprised if it goes on until the end of 2020, or perhaps even longer. The conflict (like Trump) is FAR too useful to simply get rid of at this time  There are some analysts out there that assume that the globalists want to keep the current system propped up. They assume that the elites need it to continue, or they will “lose their power”. I wish it was that easy. Sadly, these people have been blinded by a narrow view of events and history. The elites are VERY AWARE of the consequences of what they are doing, and they absolutely intend for those consequences to happen. In order for them to build their “new world order”, the old world order has to be dismantled.  Part of this process will eventually require the end of the US dollar’s world reserve status and it’s replacement with a basket currency system and a eventually a cashless society, as has been openly discussed by globalist institutions like the IMF.  I can’t think of a better way for the elites to kill the dollar than to spark off a trade war with China until China uses the “nuclear option” as the largest importer/exporter in the world and abandons the dollar in global trade. With China dropping the dollar, numerous other nations will follow their lead in order to maintain ties to their manufacturing base. China has already begun dumping US treasuries exponentially. People tracking the trade war should understand that the final outcome if the trade war continues will be the end of the dollar’s reserve status.  Dollar advocates and fanboys will cry “No way!”, but they will be proven wrong in due course.  Over a year ago the Trump Administration pronounced the end of US troop involvement in Syria. This action was applauded by conservatives and liberty advocates as a sign that Trump was finally going to follow through on his campaign promises to stop the endless wars in the Middle East. Of course, it was announced only a week later that US troops would be staying where they were.  Now, we see the propaganda narrative that Trump is “fighting the establishment” yet again as he returns with ANOTHER declaration that US troops will be removed from Syria, this time in the face of a potential Turkish invasion in the region. I’m not sure how, but the Q-cult is spinning this move as a “Win” for Trump, perhaps because the Republican establishment is stating it is against the move. Already, Trump has been walking back his statements and indicating that troops will indeed be staying in Syria (but still not interfering in the ethnic cleansing of our Kurdish allies by Turkey).  This merely shows that nothing Trump says can be taken seriously and that we should wait and see what ACTUALLY happens in the coming weeks. In all likelihood, a Syrian “withdrawal” is meant to trigger a separate agenda, and this agenda may include an economic or shooting war with Turkey.  I have said for many years, long before the Syrian civil war was instigated by western covert agencies, that Syria represents a key component for a wider war in the Middle East. With so many interests involved in Syria, from the US to Iran to Russian to Turkey, one conflict in the region could spread into many conflicts. At the very least, it looks like my prediction in January that Turkey would leave NATO by the end of 2019 might be proven correct.  I continue to see the Brexit storm in the UK resulting in a “No Deal” outcome, or, a bad deal outcome that looks a lot like a No Deal. I believe the Brexit itself, while noble in the movement that supports it, is actually a highly beneficial situation for the globalists IF it ends in a ‘No Deal’. The mainstream media and multiple elites have set the narrative that a No Deal will result in fiscal calamity. Of course, the elites have already ensured economic calamity by creating and then popping the Everything Bubble; but as with Trump in the US, they need someone to blame in Europe for the damage that is about to be done to the public.  The Brexit movement and sovereignty activists are the intended scapegoats. While the intricacies of parliamentary gymnastics in the UK are difficult to track, so far it appears that Boris Johnson will seek to follow through with Brexit at the end of this month. While there is a potential for a three month extension, I still see no indication that Johnson plans to acknowledge it. Even more interesting is that the EU is hell bent on refusing any deal, all while painting the Brexit campaign as uncompromising. It’s as if the European establishment WANTS a No Deal…  This makes sense on a surface level, as any good deal that ends with the British leaving the EU might encourage other nations to leave the supranational union as well. A No Deal ending in disaster for the UK and parts of Europe would inspire Europeans to want even more centralization. As the new head of the IMF stated this week, nations must ‘unite to halt the global economic slowdown’. In other words, give up your sovereignty or you will be made to suffer. But going much deeper, a No Deal blamed for an economic crash would also set up sovereignty activists in Europe as the bad guys, all while the banking elites elude any scrutiny. I have to say, even more so than 2016, 2019/2020 is shaping up to be the most unstable time period in modern world history. I do not think this is a storm of coincidences. The evidence does not support this notion. Rather, the evidence shows a deliberate agenda of destabilization, one that serves the interests of a globalist minority that functions much like an organization of guerrillas, or terrorists. One of the primary goals of any guerrilla war is to covertly undermine the infrastructure and economy of a system so that the population is forced to adapt to a new way of thinking – and the globalists already have a particular ideology in mind. In other words, chaos is useful in that it can be exploited to frighten or manipulate the public psyche. The most important target of a war is the mind of the enemy. Everything else is peripheral. Killing an enemy is not enough. There are always more to replace the ones you kill. But if you can trick the enemy into giving up, or thinking just like you do, or even trick him into admiring you, then your enemy becomes your slave without knowing it. No one will replace him, and thus, there are no more opponents to fight you. This is the path to total victory that the globalists most desire. If you would like to support the work that Alt-Market does while also receiving content on advanced tactics for defeating the globalist agenda, subscribe to our exclusive newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch. Learn more about it HERE. After 8 long years of ultra-loose monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, it’s no secret that inflation is primed to soar. If your IRA or 401(k) is exposed to this threat, it’s critical to act now! That’s why thousands of Americans are moving their retirement into a Gold IRA. Learn how you can too with a free info kit on gold from Birch Gold Group. It reveals the little-known IRS Tax Law to move your IRA or 401(k) into gold. Click here to get your free Info Kit on Gold. You can contact Brandon Smith at: [email protected] Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2019-11-14--People Are Still Struggling to Survive in Greece 9 Years “After” the Economic Crisis

Editor’s Note: Years ago, when I first began blogging, I wrote about the financial collapse of Greece. It turned out that this was a culmination of years of mismanagement (isn’t it always?). While in Greece, I have met a lot of people who have told me about how the collapse affected them personally. The thing that most people don’t realize is that things didn’t just magically get better when the EU stepped in. There are now supplies available in stores, but average people are still struggling to meet their daily needs. Many work 2-3 jobs. Others find things to sell and set up on the side of the road, hoping to make some money from passersby. It’s a beautiful country with warm, vibrant people, delicious food, and a rich culture. I am so fortunate to have spent time here researching the aftermath of the collapse.  My friend Aris is one of the people with whom I spoke. He has kindly written this article to share his observations. Please give him a warm welcome and feel free to ask questions that will lead to future articles. ~ Daisy  Being Greek always meant that any foreign person that you run into would be glad meeting you and he would mention things like the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Santorini, Mykonos, and maybe souvlaki or a common bad word.  But over the last 9 years the same foreign guy who met a fellow human Greek would mention some other issues such as: when the crisis started, what led to the crisis, who’s to blame for, did people starve to death, did they commit suicide, etc. etc.  Every Greek, of course, has his own version which is totally natural. Not even two persons share the same version of reality. Everyone has a view of his own which reflects his way of thinking, his economical and social status, his unique character and personality.  I’m not the exception to the rule and what you are about to read in this and all my other pieces is my point of view, my personal description, my feelings… I will not try to be objective, but I’m not going to take any political or social side. It’s my side only. the side of an ordinary guy who got in a dangerous situation for 9 years and counting…  Maybe someone will say: “Hey, man the Greek crisis is over. That’s what your politicians say for a couple of years now”.  Greek politicians and their handling of THE truth is a bit “flexible,” to express it in a moderate way…  For starters, my opinion is that the economic crisis in Greece hasn’t ended. Here’s why : • Salaries are still almost -50% down than the years before the crisis. • The pensions of retirees have suffered the biggest cutbacks. They had the biggest survival issues as they were the least capable to find alternative sources of income. They were the big victims, especially those with the basic pensions… • No matter what you hear about annual excess, base rates, foreign investors, etc., the real everyday economy in which an average Greek lives is still in deep crisis. And excuse me but no matter what politicians, bankers, high ranked EU officials say. my life is still on the edge as is the life of 95% of the Greek population.  Maybe what you listen to and read in mass media is more optimistic, but I walk the same streets where for the past years the number of out-of-business stores still remains the same and I meet the same miserable, struggling people. The number of homeless people in the center of Athens didn’t decrease. Many work two and three jobs.  See: 177 Different Ways to Generate Extra Income  In my pieces that you’ll read here, you will find the things a guy like you witnessed and lived during a very difficult time for him his family and friends, but mostly for his country. I’m not an economy expert, I’m a middle-class fighter like you who wants to live with dignity and maybe make true some silly dreams like a trip to a favorite place, a nice car, a life without constant fear for tomorrow…  How the collapse began…or when people became aware of it  On the 23 of April 2010, our prime minister G. Papandreou visits Kastelorizo, an island in the east end of Greece. There, he announces that our country needs help from the IMF and from the EU in order to deal with the national debt.  G. Papandreou was elected 7 months earlier using as his strong argument against the previous government the phrase “There is money.” He meant that there’s plenty of money to use but the previous government didn’t use it. Well, after 7 months we found out that there wasn’t any money but only a huge state debt… I’ll try some other time to explain how this debt was created over 30-40 years because it didn’t appear all of a sudden.  I was 40 years old at that time. I was working as a DJ in various cafes and bars and I owned a small convenience store with my now ex-wife. My two parents were retired and my brother was working at a small factory. We had all had signs that things weren’t that prosperous for some years after in 2004-2005 everything started not to go well economy-wise.  But nobody expected what was about to follow. We Greeks were until then stupidly reassuring ourselves that OK it’s a minor setback, a couple of bad years for the economy, the EU will help us, money is no issue.  However, it wasn’t a crisis that suddenly occurred. It was like rain which started normally and as time passed the rain kept became stronger and stronger and in the end, it flooded the whole place. By the time we realized it, it was too late.  What you can do to prepare for a bad economy  We still think back to what we could have done as individuals or as a country to prevent it. Probably nothing, but maybe as individuals we could have protected ourselves so the consequences weren’t so harsh.  I will give you some advice that may come in handy even though I really hope there will be no such occasion for you, my dear reader.  Here is stuff to do before or after a crisis : • Balance your income outcome. At a minimum, spend less than you make even by 10-20 euros, dollars per month. Don’t overspend which will lead you to borrow from friends or family or even worse a bank (credit cards, loans, etc). They will demand their money back and maybe at a time that is very difficult for your pocket. • If you are an employee, secure your main source of income. Try at your job to be as reliable and crisis-proof as you can. Do not depend on unstable employers who can’t protect their business (and your job) from the ups and downs of the market. • If you have your own business keep your balances tight. Don’t make risky moves that in case of failure will drag your whole business down. No big loans from banks, no debts to business associates. • In everything you want to plan for the future two outcomes may occur a good and a bad… be prepared for both. • Always consider that you are part of a bigger picture that’s called the market. No matter how well you do, being a part of something that big means you can’t escape what happens to the rest. • Have a backup plan for the worst-case scenario. Maybe another kind of job that could come in handy, maybe some cash that will bail you out in bad situations. • When things go wrong they probably get worse. Don’t be optimistic when there is nothing to support your optimism. There’s always something even worse than you ever thought of that can occur. • Don’t be sentimental with anything that has to do with your job and money. Maybe you’ll have to sell your family business maybe your favorite car maybe move to a smaller house. You may need to make small sacrifices in order to protect your future and secure your present days. • Don’t get stuck to the way you lived until yesterday. Things change, people and ways of life too… • When it comes to money shortage, there are always two solutions: make more or spend less. Sometimes you get the option to pick sometimes you have to combine. • Prioritize your needs and money spending, not everything is equally important. • Don’t make moves according to what friends, colleagues, neighbors, TV, radio or a website tells you to do. You know your life, your needs, and your skills better than anyone. • Remain calm. Make no panic moves. Try to relax your close ones too. There’s always a solution that you haven’t considered yet. • There are plenty of specialists to give you solutions for stuff that you can’t handle yourself and especially in the legal and tax system. Don’t try to go it alone.  I’m sure that there is much more to add to this list. but I hope that some of them might really help you.  Thanks for spending your valuable time reading this. Let me know the questions you may have for future articles.  This article was sourced from The Organic Prepper.  Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon.  Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.