Clinical practice guidelines : the way ahead

A seminar entitled `Clinical Practice Guidelines - The Way Ahead' was organised jointly by the Office of the Director General and the Department of Medicine on 5th March 2005. The aim of the seminar was to introduce the concept of Clinical Practice Guidelines into the framework of the medical and paramedical professions in Malta. It was well attended by around 80 delegates from most of the healthcare professions. The seminar was co-chaired by Dr Alfred Caruana Galizia, Chairman Department of Medicine and Dr Mariella Borg Buontempo, Consultant in Public Health, Office of the Director General.peer-reviewe

Cyclist safety in Malta : a review

The promotion of safe cycling is a way to address physical inactivity, one of the risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the report Road safety in the European Union: Trends, statistics and main challenges (March 2015), 8% of all fatalities are cyclists. Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head and brain injuries and death. Most EU Member states have no requirement in legislation for bicycle helmets. Consequences of mandatory helmet legislation include decreases in head injuries and death, decreases cycling as a mode of transport, and increases helmet use. Other considerations, which influence bicycle accidents, need to be considered. In Malta there were three deaths due to cycling between 2006 and 2015. The number of Accident & Emergency (A&E) attendances with cycling related injuries increased between 2009 and 2015. The number of A&E attendances in the 0-19 age group decreased whereas the 20-39 and 40-59 year age groups increased. In 2013, there were 173 registered injuries in cyclists, with head, upper extremity and lower extremity involvement in 28%, 40% and 21% respectively. Recommendations include improving data collection, education campaigns, strong recommendation for helmet use in adults, to consider the introduction of mandatory helmet legislation in children and implementation of infrastructure measures to make roads more cycling friendly.peer-reviewe

Two decades of action on nutrition for the Maltese population

Malta, like many other countries, has experienced significant challenges in nutrition over the past 20 years. Given the increasing prevalence of diet-related diseases and overweight and obesity across all ages, nutrition has been high on the Ministry for Health agenda over the past 15 years. Public Health practitioners in Malta have been drivers of public health nutrition reform throughout this period. The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate was set up to mainly focus on health promotion and non-communicable diseases including healthy nutrition in 2007. Over the years a number of strategies have been outlined targeting nutrition for the Maltese population including the Non Communicable Disease Strategy, the National Cancer Plan, the National Healthy Weight for Life Strategy, the Food and Nutrition Policy and Action Plan for Malta, Diabetes: A National Public Health Priority – A National Strategy for Diabetes 2016-2020, Whole of School Approach to Healthy Lifestyle: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Policy and Strategy and the National Breastfeeding Policy and Action Plan 2015 – 2020. With input from WHO and the EU, Malta has participated in many surveys allowing for continuous monitoring and evaluation. In 2015, Malta embarked on a first National Food Consumption Survey, results of which will provide a baseline on eating habits to target priority areas for action, inform policy and monitor trends.peer-reviewe