News Articles
Grab a rope: seven reasons why skipping is so good for you
Last Updated: 15-09-2020
While many of us may remember skipping as something we did as children, the pastime has regained popularity during the pandemic as a way of keeping fit. Not only is jumping rope a fun, affordable and portable form of exercise, it also has ma Read More...
Lymphoma rates jump 37% in past decade, with further significant increase still to come
Date of Posting: 15-09-2020
Today is World Lymphoma Awareness Day and the Leukaemia Foundation is highlighting the rising incidence of one of Australia’s most common blood cancers. Over the past 10 years, incidence of lymphoma have risen by 37%, leading to close to 700 Read More...
Short-term day surgery model here to stay
Date of Posting: 15-09-2020
Short stay models of care for major orthopaedic surgery may be a way forward to make healthcare more affordable and sustainable, but cautions need to be exercised, according to a recent panel discussion with leading stakeholders in Australia’s Read More...
Former Prime Minister Keating says Australia should adopt HECS model for aged care
Date of Posting: 14-09-2020
Former Prime Minister Paul Keating says Australia should adopt an aged care model similar to the HECS university scheme and recover costs from people's assets. Aged care in Australia should operate under a HECS-style model where costs are reco Read More...
Health Minister Hunt hopeful of early 2021 vaccine
Last Updated: 14-09-2020
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine is on track for Australian use early next year after clinical trials resumed. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt is quietly hopeful about the prospects of a vaccine for Austr Read More...
Here's what under 50's need to know about bowel cancer
Date of Posting: 11-09-2020
If you’re under 50, the recent death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman of colon cancer at just 43 may have prompted a worrying thought. Isn’t colon cancer – also known as bowel cancer – an older person’s di Read More...
New glove-like device mimics sense of touch
Date of Posting: 11-09-2020
UNSW engineers have invented a soft wearable device which simulates the sense of touch and has wide potential for medical, industrial and entertainment applications. What if you could touch a loved one during a video call – particularly in t Read More...
Diarrhoea, stomach ache and nausea: the many ways COVID-19 can affect your gut
Last Updated: 11-09-2020
Media reports earlier this week described a Queensland nurse with stomach pains who went on to test positive for COVID-19. Could stomach pains be another symptom of COVID-19? And if you have stomach pains, should you get tested? &nb Read More...
'Died from' or 'died with' COVID-19? We need a transparent approach to counting coronavirus deaths
Last Updated: 11-09-2020
The COVID-19 death toll is reported every day by state and federal governments. These numbers are often used, alongside case numbers, to assess how public health policies are faring in controlling the pandemic, and to gauge the success of various Read More...
New research shows Aussies are drinking and using cannabis more
Last Updated: 10-09-2020
Australians have been drinking and using cannabis more often during the coronavirus pandemic, new research shows. Two in five Australians have been drinking more alcohol during the coronavirus pandemic, a new study shows.[subscribe] The Global Read More...
Understanding Australia's virtual care needs
Date of Posting: 09-09-2020
Health systems around the world have been looking closely at ways that virtual care could enhance the sustainability of health services, a shift accelerating as COVID-19 drives a rapid and widespread uptake of telehealth technology by consumers and h Read More...
A virtual garden brings hope in this pandemic
Last Updated: 08-09-2020
Lifeline's John Brogden says COVID-19 restrictions are exacerbating people's isolation, with many left to grieve or struggle with their thoughts alone. Lifeline plans to send a powerful message to those struggling during the pandemic invit Read More...
RACGP helping people care for COVID-19 positive patients at home
Date of Posting: 08-09-2020
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is helping people in Australia care for patients with the COVID-19 virus at home. The RACGP has released a home-care guide for people caring for those with mild COVID-19 as well as guid Read More...
New PCOS study shows individualised treatment is best
Date of Posting: 08-09-2020
A new Cochrane Review comparing the two most common treatments used in the long-term medical management of the condition polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) or metformin, shows individualization of treatment provides t Read More...
Designing rural health and aged care services
Date of Posting: 08-09-2020
By Don Marshall, Health Sector Lead - QLD, Partner with ThomsonAdsett Imagine having spent your entire life working the family farm in rural Australia only to retire and be forced to leave the area you love because there are inadequate residential Read More...
Psychological abuse: obstetric care must delve deeper
Date of Posting: 08-09-2020
As domestic violence skyrockets amid COVID-19, women’s health experts are calling for compulsory training of obstetric health practitioners to ensure they can recognise the signs of coercive control for women in their care. The recommendatio Read More...
Research reveals new ideas about autism and social interaction
Date of Posting: 08-09-2020
New research suggests people with autism may not have as much difficulty imagining the thoughts of others as previously believed. The brains of people on the autism spectrum can infer what others think, contrary to a commonly held view that says t Read More...
A new surgery offers hope for people with sleep apnoea
Last Updated: 08-09-2020
Australian sleep specialists say new surgery offers hope to millions of people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea but can't adapt to using a CPAP mask. Australian experts say simple surgery could be a dream come true for the billion peop Read More...
Weekly injection could treat type 2 diabetes, new enzyme discovery suggests
Last Updated: 04-09-2020
A newly discovered protein produced by the liver, and which helps to control blood sugar levels, could potentially revolutionise treatment for type 2 diabetes. Our research, published today in Science Translational Medicine, found tha Read More...
Erectile dysfunction meds are more affordable
Last Updated: 04-09-2020
A generic version of a popular drug to treat erectile dysfunction is now available to Australian men, with a potential saving of nearly $200 a month. A popular erectile dysfunction medication has just become more affordable for the 20 per cent of Read More...
World Physiotherapy Day focuses on respiratory illness
Last Updated: 04-09-2020
September 8, 2020, marks World Physiotherapy Day, a global event that recognises the importance of physiotherapists in the community. This year’s theme, ‘rehabilitation after severe respiratory illness’, is crucial to shedding light Read More...
Understanding your menstrual cycle can be key to achieving exercise goals
Last Updated: 03-09-2020
It’s pretty normal to feel full of energy for exercise some days, and as though you can’t be bothered on other days. For women, there’s a physiological explanation behind this. While men’s hormone levels do cha Read More...
Climate change and the tyranny of psychological distance
Date of Posting: 03-09-2020
With last summer’s bushfires largely out of the headlines, has the psychological distance people might feel towards climate change increased? UNSW Sydney’s Professor Ben Newell has been researching climate change psychology for a decad Read More...
Worry increases, distancing decreases during COVID second wave
Date of Posting: 03-09-2020
Victoria’s COVID-19 second-wave outbreak and related lockdown has seen a spike in anxiety and worry among Australians everywhere, but particularly in Victoria, new data from The Australian National University (ANU) shows. The latest survey f Read More...
RACGP's urgent warning for families: Do not delay routine vaccinations
Date of Posting: 03-09-2020
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is urging parents to book a consult with their usual GP clinic and ensure their children’s routine immunisations are up to date. It comes amid a report from the Royal Children&rsq Read More...
Elimination, eradication, and the myth of 'living with' a certain level of COVID-19
Date of Posting: 03-09-2020
UNSW Sydney experts explain the epidemiology definitions you should know before tuning in to another COVID-19 press update – and the ones Australia needs to work on. Disease management terms like ‘elimination’ and ‘eradicat Read More...
Cairns university hospital will be developed
Last Updated: 02-09-2020
Cairns Hospital will be upgraded and expanded to become a university hospital, with the Queensland government committing $53 million to the project. The Queensland government will commit almost $53 million to expand and convert Cairns Hospital int Read More...
Australians want COVID-19 vaccine
Last Updated: 02-09-2020
Australia can expect rapid adoption of a COVID-19 vaccination when it's available, with 90 per cent of Australians surveyed saying they want to be inoculated. Nearly 90 per cent of Australians say they will get a COVID-19 vaccine but don't Read More...
Inflammation: the key factor that explains vulnerability to severe COVID
Last Updated: 01-09-2020
The severity of COVID-19 can vary hugely. In some it causes no symptoms at all and in others it’s life threatening, with some people particularly vulnerable to its very severe impacts. The virus disproportionately affects men an Read More...
Giving a voice to people with intellectual disabilities
Date of Posting: 01-09-2020
My work is very much focused on contributing to bettering the lives of people living with a disability, says UNSW’s Professor Iva Strnadová. UNSW’s Professor Iva Strnadová is working to improve the lives of people living Read More...
An improved Ventolin inhaler has been added to PBS
Last Updated: 01-09-2020
A new and improved Ventolin inhaler with a dosage counter has been added to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. Australian asthma suffers will now be able to avoid running out of Ventolin when they most desperately need it, with a new inhaler adde Read More...
Report shows more than 2000 Australians dying from OD
Last Updated: 31-08-2020
More than 2000 Australians are dying from drug overdoses every year, with most deaths unintentional and involving prescription medication. More than 2000 Australians die every year from a drug overdose, mostly in simple, tragic accidents.[subscrib Read More...
Calls for a national code to allow agricultural workers to cross state borders
Date of Posting: 31-08-2020
NSW will push for the establishment of a national agricultural workers' code that permits workers to freely cross state borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro is calling for a national code to allow agricultural w Read More...
Free travel vouchers for Tasmanians
Date of Posting: 28-08-2020
Tasmania is set to hand out travel vouchers to locals to encourage them to holiday at home and stimulate the island's struggling tourism sector. Tasmania will hand out up to $7.5 million worth of travel vouchers to locals to help boost the sta Read More...
Queenslanders are called to volunteer for a potential COVID-19 vaccine
Last Updated: 28-08-2020
Queenslanders aged 56 and over are being called to volunteer for the next phase of human trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Volunteers aged 56 and over are being urged to help with the next phase of human trials for the University of Queensla Read More...
Victorian COVID-19 initiative is developing virus-blocking antibodies
Last Updated: 26-08-2020
A potential alternative to a future COVID-19 vaccine is being developed in Victoria as one of many government-sponsored projects to combat the virus. A Victorian COVID-19 initiative is developing virus-blocking antibodies in what researchers hope Read More...
Chinese diplomat open to virus vaccine negotiations
Last Updated: 26-08-2020
Senior Chinese diplomat in Australia Wang Xining says his country will fulfil its obligations around coronavirus vaccines. A senior Chinese diplomat has flagged coronavirus vaccine negotiations with other nations amid regional jockeying over distr Read More...
An Australian study shows extra virgin olive oil can be life saving
Last Updated: 26-08-2020
Researchers have found that including extra virgin olive oil in our daily diet can reduce blood pressure, an important step forward in preventing heart disease. An Australian study is being hailed as an important step forward in preventing heart d Read More...
5 ways to stick to a healthy diet and improve your nutrition
Date of Posting: 26-08-2020
While everyone understands the practical benefits of eating a healthy diet and getting the right balance of nutrients, not everyone has the time to do it. When you live in a society surrounded by junk food advertising and convenient takeaway optio Read More...
Only 25% of older Australians have an advance care plan. Coronavirus makes it even more important
Last Updated: 26-08-2020
Older adults and those with chronic health conditions share an increased risk of experiencing severe symptoms if they contract COVID-19. But they’re not a homogeneous group. In the event they become very sick, one person may wan Read More...
