Plea to end the nation's kidney dialysis dependence

Date of Posting: 21-11-2024

With chronic kidney disease projected to be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide by 2050, advocates are calling for radical action to end Australia's dependence on outdated dialysis. Despite its life-preserving role, dialysis has changed Read More...

Home tests for STIs to improve access but not diagnosis

Date of Posting: 21-11-2024

New rapid at-home testing kits for chlamydia and gonorrhoea will be available in the next couple of weeks for any women who suspect they might have sexually transmitted infections. The Therapeutic Goods Administration-approved tests can be done with Read More...

Record number of GPs in training but 'job not done'

Date of Posting: 21-11-2024

Australians could have improved access to local doctors as a record number of medical students train to become GPs. More than 1500 junior doctors will undergo specialist GP training in 2025, an almost 20 per cent increase - or 249 future GPs - on Read More...

Call for government action to address men's suicide

Date of Posting: 20-11-2024

Thousands of empty shoes symbolising the number of men who take their own lives each year across Australia have been placed in front of Parliament House. More than 2400 men and boys took their own lives in 2023, according to the Australian Bureau Read More...

New parents urged to 'make the call' on mental health

Date of Posting: 20-11-2024

The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families seeking mental health support during pregnancy and within the first year of a child's birth has tripled, a perinatal helpline says. Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) Read More...

Thousands of vapes seized as tougher penalties set

Date of Posting: 19-11-2024

A vendor selling an illegal vape could face up to seven years in prison or a million dollar fine as the NSW government cracks down on supply of the products. Health Minister Ryan Park introduced a bill to parliament on Tuesday aimed at halting the Read More...

At least 400 dead as Bangladesh dengue outbreak worsens

Date of Posting: 18-11-2024

Bangladesh is battling its worst outbreak of dengue in years, with more than 400 deaths as rising temperatures and a longer monsoon season drive a surge in infections, leaving hospitals struggling to cope, particularly in urban areas. At least 407 Read More...

Mind check: should schools track kids' mental health?

Date of Posting: 17-11-2024

When teenager Gianna was going through her darkest times, digital support services helped her see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having been bullied at primary school, things only got worse when she reached high school, where she was often re Read More...

Is AI in healthcare ethically responsible?

Date of Posting: 16-11-2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning hold great potential to improve healthcare by enhancing diagnostics and treatment. However, their adoption comes with ethical challenges that must be addressed to ensure they’re used responsibly Read More...

Trump picks vax-sceptic RFK Jr to head US health dept

Date of Posting: 15-11-2024

US President-elect Donald Trump has selected Robert F Kennedy Jr, an environmental activist who has spread misinformation on vaccines, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy ran for president in the 2024 election as an indepe Read More...

Undervalued and lonely: older Australians struggling

Date of Posting: 15-11-2024

Six-in-10 older people say they're experiencing loneliness, with many feeling undervalued by society and struggling to reconnect. Council on the Ageing (COTA) NSW research found half of those older than 50 in the state felt socially isolated, Read More...

Nurses strike, reject staff ratio delay to fund wages

Date of Posting: 13-11-2024

Striking nurses have rejected an offer to fund their requested pay rise in return for delaying the rollout of their "big ask" for more staff, NSW's health minister says. Hundreds of surgeries are expected to be postponed as more than Read More...

Fresh treatment hope for frontline workers with PTSD

Date of Posting: 13-11-2024

Treatment for emergency service workers dealing with post traumatic stress disorder could be transformed with the assistance of new guidelines. A partnership by Black Dog Institute and UNSW will launch the first and only PTSD guidelines in the wor Read More...

Dutton supports abortion access, hits out at 'games'

Date of Posting: 13-11-2024

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has declared he supports women accessing abortion, as he attempts to prevent the debate from becoming a key federal election issue. The Greens announced their own election pledge on Wednesday, promising an extra $100 Read More...

'Furious' nurses won't back away from day-long strike

Date of Posting: 12-11-2024

More than 50,000 public nurses and midwives are perplexed by a seismic pay overhaul for police and will resist calls to back down from a 24-hour strike. The female-dominated workforce demands a one-off pay increase of 15 per cent to help address a Read More...

Trial to see if red wine chemical can stop bowel cancer

Date of Posting: 11-11-2024

Scientists will explore if a chemical mostly found in red grapes - and products made from red grapes, such as wine and juice - can help prevent bowel cancer as part of a major new trial. The study - known as Colo-Prevent - has been hailed as a &qu Read More...

Canada detects first presumptive human H5 bird flu case

Date of Posting: 11-11-2024

Canada has detected its first presumptive case of H5 bird flu in a person - a teenager in the western province of British Columbia - health officials say. The teenager likely caught the virus from a bird or animal and was receiving care at a child Read More...

Babies, pregnant mums to have greater RSV protection

Date of Posting: 11-11-2024

Pregnant women and babies will have greater protection against a condition known as respiratory syncytial virus as part of an expanded vaccination program. The federal government will spend more than $174 million to give pregnant women a free vacc Read More...

Mission to inspire generation of Indigenous pharmacists

Date of Posting: 10-11-2024

Combining a love of chemistry with his passion for helping others, Jared Miles made the "obvious choice" when he took up pharmacy. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are under-represented in the field, making up just 0.3 per ce Read More...

Social media a 'scapegoat' for poor mental health

Date of Posting: 10-11-2024

Social media is being used as something of a "scapegoat" for mental health issues in young people and isn't what is making them feel depressed, anxious and driven to self-harm, says one of Australia's leading medical research organi Read More...

Baby Jasper's brave battle with rare nerve cell cancer

Date of Posting: 10-11-2024

Two weeks before giving birth, soon-to-be parents Lauren and Jaiger Hill checked in for a routine scan where a 7cm tumour was found between their baby's heart and spine. As Lauren left the hospital that day, anxious thoughts consumed her. &quo Read More...

Skilled migrants could help fill Australia's physiotherapy shortage

Date of Posting: 08-11-2024

Antonio Mitchell moved to Australia from Chile in 2018, hoping to continue his career as a physiotherapist. With over 50,000 patients treated in his home country, Mitchell expected his qualifications to be quickly recognised. Instead, he was shocked Read More...

Is ACL surgery always the best option?

Date of Posting: 08-11-2024

ACL injuries are common in sports, but surgery isn’t always necessary for recovery. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) plays a vital role in stabilising the knee, and a rupture can sideline athletes and active individuals. In Australia, where Read More...

Deadly cough spreading like wildfire amid record cases

Date of Posting: 08-11-2024

Australia is in the grips of its worst whooping cough outbreak since the introduction of vaccines as people continue to fall behind on immunisations. More than 41,000 cases of the highly infectious and deadly lung disease have been recorded in the Read More...

Racism, colonialism 'driving Indigenous self-harm'

Date of Posting: 08-11-2024

Australia's dark colonial past and ongoing racism are driving self-harm in Indigenous communities, a respected Aboriginal psychologist says. There were 3214 deaths due to suicide in Australia in 2023, according to the Australian Bureau of Stat Read More...

Australia poised to work smarter not harder in AI era

Date of Posting: 07-11-2024

Australia could become a warehouse for the immense pile of data that sits behind the rise of artificial intelligence, powered by renewable and nuclear energy, a tech giant says. Economic modelling released on Thursday by Microsoft and consultancy Read More...

Short bursts of exercise found to lower blood pressure

Date of Posting: 07-11-2024

Adding short bursts of exercise to your daily routine, such as cycling to the shops for 15 minutes or taking the stairs, lowers blood pressure, a joint UK-Australian study has found. Increasing exercise habits - in exchange, say, for watching a bi Read More...

Pill testing to go ahead at Schoolies after backflip

Date of Posting: 06-11-2024

Pill testing will proceed at the popular end-of-year Schoolies event on the Gold Coast after the Queensland government backflipped on its hardline stance. The former Labor government committed $80,000 for the free and confidential service to be ro Read More...

Clinicians to heed parents after toddler's cancer death

Date of Posting: 06-11-2024

How clinicians at a Perth public hospital respond to parents' concerns about their children will be overhauled following the death of a toddler from undiagnosed blood cancer Sandipan Dhar died at Joondalup Health Campus in March, weeks after d Read More...

Call for clubs, bosses to treat deadly cancer seriously

Date of Posting: 05-11-2024

Having escaped a near-death experience, Anne Gately is keenly aware of the damage the sun can do to Australians. So the stage-four melanoma survivor is not content with the lukewarm approach adopted by too many businesses and sporting clubs.[subsc Read More...

Secret settlement following COVID-19 care home deaths

Date of Posting: 05-11-2024

Nineteen residents of a Sydney aged care facility died during COVID-19 and some of their loved ones will get a payout as part of a confidential legal settlement. Mark Fahey was the lead plaintiff in a class action against Anglicare Sydney and the Read More...

Financial distress drives record crisis call numbers

Date of Posting: 05-11-2024

Record numbers of Australians experiencing financial hardship are contacting crisis support services, as the soaring cost of living takes a toll on people's mental health. Lifeline has received 110,000 calls related to financial distress so fa Read More...

Millions for treatment clinics as drug summit continues

Date of Posting: 04-11-2024

More support to treat people struggling with alcohol and other drugs has been announced ahead of a second regional forum gathering perspectives on drug use and responses. Four years of funding worth $21 million has been earmarked for treatment and Read More...

Technology making change amid quad bike crash spike

Date of Posting: 04-11-2024

An 82-year-old man was killed when a quad bike rolled down a levee bank on a remote NSW property. The next day, a teenage girl and a woman in her 70s were flown to hospital after two separate quad bike crashes on farms in northern NSW.[subscribe] Read More...

Patients languishing in emergency departments

Date of Posting: 01-11-2024

More than a quarter of Victorians seeking medical treatment in emergency departments are unlikely to be treated within recommended time frames. The findings are disclosed in the Department of Health's annual report, tabled in state parliament Read More...

Bird's the word as agriculture ministers tackle flu

Date of Posting: 01-11-2024

Australia cannot be complacent despite being the only continent currently without bird flu as its rapid spread remains a risk, federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says. The government has put aside $100 million to prepare and protect Austra Read More...

Irabina Autism Services sued over child restraints

Date of Posting: 01-11-2024

An NDIS autism support service company, that used prohibited restraints on children with disabilities, is being taken to court. Melbourne's Iribina Autism Services restrained children with complex intellectual disabilities using illegal restra Read More...

Demand for aged care rises and population ages

Last Updated: 01-11-2024

When Joan* turned 99, her daughter and son-in-law had to finally come to terms with the fact that caring for their beloved mum was becoming difficult. Despite the fact they were getting on in age themselves, they didn’t want to send Joan int Read More...

Wait times for mental health care hit record highs

Date of Posting: 31-10-2024

Governments should stop treating funding for mental health as too difficult, the country's peak medical body says, with the public system accused of failing patients. The outlook for mental health patients in hospitals is only going to worsen, Read More...

Pollution problem: the issue making kids sick at school

Date of Posting: 31-10-2024

Children are being exposed to toxic air pollution that could leave them at heightened risks of poor health, with one in six capital city schools and childcare centres located near busy main roads. For Ben Cox, who lives in Melbourne's leafy ea Read More...