Australia to probe its COVID-19 pandemic response - but not state lockdowns
The 12 month long inquiry will be led by three experts. But it won't include individual state or territory decisions on lockdowns or border closures.
Sep 21, 2023•5 min
Headlines on health
Follow the latest news about health and wellness, with this collection of reports and interviews from the SBS News team. Hear the story behind the headline.
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Episodes
Ange is only 19, yet she’s struggling to survive an ‘older person’s disease’
In Australia, around 1.5 million people care for someone living with dementia – and there is no cure. Dementia also affects thousands of young people, creating a heavy burden for parents. While experimental treatments offer some hope, a new report says families need more support as their child declines.
Sep 16, 2023•6 min
Researchers in Australia discover a new treatment for acne
Acne makes life unpleasant for millions of children and adults worldwide, but Australian researchers may have discovered an effective treatment for the skin condition. A dermatology expert says treatment will help boost the self-confidence of victims.
Sep 15, 2023•6 min
Disability Royal Commission holds its final sitting with a call for urgent change
About one in every six Australians, or 4.4 million people, live with disability. Many receive support from services separate from the NDIS - and large numbers also experience neglect, abuse and exploitation. The long-running Disability Royal Commission, established to hear their stories, has now come to a close in Sydney.
Sep 15, 2023•6 min
No time for mental health care under Medicare, say GPs
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says it needs more funding to help deal with patients experiencing mental health issues. It comes ahead of a major world conference in October, which will discuss solutions on how general practitioners can best provide mental healthcare.
Sep 14, 2023•4 min
Pill testing: 'If one life is saved - it's worth it
Drug safety advocates, lawyers, and doctors are behind a renewed push to introduce pill testing sites ahead of the summer festival season. In an open letter to the New South Wales premier they claim it will save lives, by giving users the chance to avoid potentially lethal additives in common party drugs.
Sep 12, 2023•3 min
Pleas for water safety awareness as beach drowning deaths climb
New research has warned of an increased risk of drowning on public holidays. 281 people have lost their lives to drowning in the last 12 months, prompting experts to call for an increase in awareness.
Sep 11, 2023•4 min
Stem cell research reveals the earliest stages of a human life
Scientists have created embryo models to help study the mysteries of early human development, the medical problems that happen before birth and why many pregnancies fail. A new study making models from stem cells, rather than an egg and sperm has been released.
Sep 09, 2023•5 min
Fears for global HIV program amid Republican abortion stoush
A HIV program credited with saving millions of lives around the world is feared to be under threat as its funding comes up for renewal in September. The reason is a political fight in the United States over abortion funding.
Sep 09, 2023•5 min
'Suicide is too much in the shadows': Expert
In the lead up to World Suicide Prevention Day, mental health professionals are saying high-pressure occupations contribute to increased suicidal tendencies. But there are indications that there is inadequate provision for mental health care in Australia. A new app has been released to help combat the situation.
Sep 08, 2023•8 min
Not just for 'big boofy footballers': action urged after Senate concussion report
A Senate inquiry has been investigating concerns over concussions in professional and community sport. Its final report has called for a national strategy and for government to take a greater hand in addressing the issue.
Sep 07, 2023•4 min
It can be a killer cancer, but early detection saves lives
Australia is seeing a decline in a free bowel screening test participation that is a proven life-saver. Cancer Council Victoria is urging more eligible people to take part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
Sep 05, 2023•5 min
Treating sleep issues may be an effective way to treat PTSD
While around 75 per cent of the Australian population experiences trauma, only around five to ten per cent will develop post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. But rates of PTSD are rising, with the Royal Commission into Veteran and Defence Suicide again drawing attention to the condition.
Sep 01, 2023•7 min
Pharmacy Guild drops opposition to 60 day prescriptions
The Pharmacy Guild has abandoned its campaign against the rollout of 60 day prescriptions. The changes to almost 100 medications come into effect from September 1st - allowing patients to access twice as many doses.
Sep 01, 2023•3 min
Why do some people develop cognitive impairment after COVID-19?
A new study published by Nature Medicine has inspected multiple biomarkers, or substances in our blood, which help diagnose people with long COVID. Those experiencing the condition are welcoming new research, as they suffer from what is often described as an invisible illness.
Sep 01, 2023•7 min
Autism the focus as government ponders disability funding
The National Disability Insurance Scheme has come under intense scrutiny in recent times, both for its cost and for how challenging some participants have found it to get support. Some of the debate has focused on the support needs of autistic people. But there's concern they're under particular pressure as the NDIS plans for its future.
Aug 31, 2023•6 min
Uninvited guest: the giant parasitic worm evicted from Canberra woman's brain
INTERVIEW: A parasitic roundworm has been pulled from a woman's brain in Canberra in a startling medical first. Researchers at the Australian National University and the Canberra Hospital discovered the live eight-centimetre Ophidascaris robertsi roundworm after detecting an atypical lesion in the brain of a 64-year-old woman who had complained of memory lapses. The doctors believe the woman caught the worm when foraging for native grass close to her home, after it was shed by a carpet python th...
Aug 29, 2023•9 min
Woman in Germany tests first medically approved 3D printed bionic arm
A 25-year-old woman in Germany has become an early-recipient of the world's first medically-approved 3-D printed bionic arm. Dominika Frycz says the arm allows her to do simple things like walk her dog.
Aug 27, 2023•5 min
Concern growing for transgender health care in retirement
Transgender adults say they are worried about finding welcoming spaces to live - not just in the present, but in their later years when they may require more health care. Their concern has grown as a wave of anti-trans legislation is enacted across the United States.
Aug 26, 2023•5 min
Link to mental health services key to reducing rates of suicide
A new study has found communities with poor access to mental health services are eight times more likely to be youth suicide hotspots. It's the first time researchers have been able to show a strong link between service access and higher or lower suicide rates.
Aug 24, 2023•7 min
New test offers hope for early ovarian cancer diagnosis
Ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate of any women's cancer, killing roughly one thousand women in Australia every year. But now, there's a new blood test that offers hope for detection, and improving outcomes for the women diagnosed with the disease.
Aug 21, 2023•4 min
Alateen offering a support lifeline to children of problem drinkers
The experiences of children and young people living with an alcoholic or a recovering alcoholic can often go unheard. Alateen is a program which aims to address this silence, providing a safe space for young people to find support.
Aug 21, 2023•6 min
Stem cell research helping people see in the United States
The results of early-stage research into a procedure developed to treat limbal stem cell deficiency have been published. The disease is a corneal disorder that can occur after chemical burns and other eye injuries. A larger study is underway.
Aug 20, 2023•4 min
New guidelines to help doctors and patients with PCOS pain
Women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome often say it is difficult to get accurate information - and a diagnosis. Now, Australia is leading the world with a new international guideline and an app they hope will improve the treatment and health of those suffering from the syndrome.
Aug 15, 2023•7 min
Autism in children data reveals surprise
A new study has found children of ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to be diagnosed with autism. Researchers say the findings highlight the need for greater understanding of the condition, as well as more targeted care to bridge the gaps for minority communities.
Aug 11, 2023•4 min
Cheaper medications by next month
Australians will be able to get cheaper medications from September 1 after the Parliament passed the Government's changes to allow 60-day dispensing and a last-ditch effort by the Coalition to block it failed.
Aug 10, 2023•6 min
Help at hand for sufferers from Crohn's disease
A study by Monash University is investigating whether a newly developed diet can reduce inflammation in Crohn’s Disease. Crohn's is a chronic and lifelong condition which affects around 60,000 people in Australia.
Aug 10, 2023•6 min
Australians face an increasing risk of stroke
Strokes are the number one cause of disability in Australia, with one in four people expected to experience a stroke during their lifetime. During this year's National Stroke Week (7-13 August), the Australian Stroke Foundation is hoping to raise awareness about the impacts they can have in their life and how they can be prevented.
Aug 09, 2023•4 min
New COVID-19 strain makes an appearance
A COVID-19 subvariant named EG.5.1, or Eris, is increasingly appearing in the United States and Britain. Symptoms of the subvariant reportedly include a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and a sore throat, with experts in Australia saying it will emerge here.
Aug 09, 2023•6 min
Why doctors fear Darwin could become a disease hotspot
A delegation of hundreds of doctors has converged on Canberra to protest fossil fuel projects in the Northern Territory which may have significant health risks for Darwin locals. The Beetaloo Basin oil fracking plans and the Middle Arm industrial hub form two key pillars of the territory's gas-led economic strategy. But the Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says the economic gains from the project will allow the territory to transition to renewables in the future.
Aug 08, 2023•7 min
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