Five Minutes with pioneer travel health expert, Dr Deb Mills

Dr Deb Mills or “Dr Deb” as she is affectionately known by her patients, is a leading Australian travel doctor and author of ‘Travelling Well’ – the must-have guide to enjoying good health while travelling. The local pioneer of travel medicine, who began working in the field in 1988, runs a travel clinic in Brisbane…

World Cup dengue fever risk

Those travelling to the World Cup in Brazil next year are at potential risk of contracting a mosquito-borne virus, according to commentary published in the renowned scientific journal, Nature. A world-leading infectious diseases expert is strongly urging Brazil to minimise the number of dengue-transmitting mosquitoes during the World Cup by implementing aggressive vector control in…

Celebrating health with Heart Research Australia

Confused about heart health? Want to learn more about the latest breakthroughs in heart research? Heart Research Australia invites you to a morning focused on heart health. Hosted by TV personality, Chris Russell and featuring presentations from our leading researchers and cardiologists, this is your opportunity to learn more about advances in the prevention and…

More commendations for Team VIVA!

VIVA! clinches two awards at the 2013 PRIA Golden Target Awards. This week marked another exciting week for Team VIVA! We clinched two ‘Commended’ awards in the highly coveted national Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) Golden Target Awards held during the National Conference from November 17-19, 2013 at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia.…

Healthcare marketers to benefit from new industry guidelines on social media use

New guidelines intended to increase confidence in connecting brands and health information with social media audiences The Australian Self Medication Industry (ASMI) will launch new industry social media guidelines at its annual conference in Sydney today, to help guide non-­- prescription healthcare marketers to continue to engage with audiences in the new media in a…

Melbourne Cup – The day that stops a nation

Held each year on the first Tuesday in November, Melbourne Cup is followed by millions of people across Australia and many more worldwide. With Kirsten Bruce, Founder of VIVA! Communications, and Paul Jans, VIVA! Communications Managing Director, being from VIC, Team VIVA! celebrated in true Melbourne Cup style on the day marking the race that…

Growing Australian waistline prompts calls for obesity disease status

Australia ranks among the world’s most obese nations Obesity is the single biggest threat to public health in Australia, with 14 million Australians either overweight or obese, sparking calls for a disease classification. Given obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature death and illness in Australia, public health experts are calling for…

Industry edging closer to first-ever social media guidelines

With social media pervading every aspect of our lives, the Australian Self Medication Industry (ASMI) has recently put its industry- first, draft Social Media Guidelines up for public consultation. The guidelines are expected to play an important role in helping all manufacturers of consumer healthcare products manage social media responsibly to ensure consumers are able to access…

Bushfires prompting urgent health alerts

Years of built up leaf litter, high temperatures and fierce winds have conspired to create the worst bushfires in New South Wales in more than a decade. The number of homes lost is estimated to be in the hundreds in the Blue Mountains region alone. On the Central Coast and near Newcastle homes have also…

Goal-setting your way to Olympic gold

If you’re seeking an inspiring story of personal transformation through creative goal-setting and sheer resilience, then look no further than Kerri Pottharst. The three-time Olympian, Sydney 2000 Olympic Gold Medallist, and President of the Beach Volleyball Commission, has many valuable tips on how to prepare mentally and physically for a sporting event through personal motivation…