Headlines on health

The world has faced a number of challenges when it comes to health this year. SBS looks bck at how the international community has responded over the last 12 months.

The health of Australians has repeatedly come into the spotlight during 2023. SBS looks back on how the nation has responded to health challenges over the last 12 months.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has just released a comprehensive report revealing how much money Australia spent on the health system response to COVID-19 from 2019-20 to 2021-22. This comes as Australia faces a COVID Christmas driven by the Omicron subvariant BA.2.75, also known as Centaurus.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered a formal apology to thalidomide victims in parliament. The drug thalidomide was only on the market for a few years, but killed and caused birth defects in thousands of babies around the world in the 1950s and 60s. Mr Albanese has called the tragedy one of the darkest chapters in Australia's medical history.

A new national framework tracking the health and wellbeing of young people across Australia has been launched in hopes of encouraging significant improvements before 2030. The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth have joined forces, warning that the health and wellbeing of Australia's youth is...

An experimental method aims at helping people recovering from brain and spine injury by doing underwater workouts. Although first trials show satisfaction for patients and practitioners, it is uncertain yet if the method is genuinely efficient and entirely safe.

The Australian Dental Association is calling on the government to overhaul the dental care system and take immediate action to address unequal access. The ADA says a targeted approach to improve dental care for Australia's most vulnerable populations is urgently needed.

A first of its kind national multicultural health and wellbeing conference has kicked off in Sydney. The conference is aiming to open dialogue and discuss ways of improving Australia's health system for multicultural communities.

New research from the University of Melbourne reveals refugee and migrant communities faced additional barriers accessing legal and justice services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show increased police presence, combined with language barriers and differential treatment of largely migrant and refugee communities were all worsened by Victoria's lengthy lockdowns.

There are concerns about an increase in the amount of antibiotics being consumed in Australia. Doctors are warning the effectiveness - and supply - of antibiotics is not unlimited, and there are dire consequences potentially if new health problems emerge.

In 2020-21, hundreds of thousands of Australians were admitted to the emergency department for head injuries. But some experts say the true number of these injuries is likely being under-reported. Now a new report offers insights to inform policy, education and prevention.

New parents are revealing that they need more support to deal with the challenges of having children - according to a survey by perinatal support service, the Gidget Foundation. The gap in care has led to 56 perinatal, parenting and mental health organisations coming together to help make getting help easier for new parents.

A parliamentary inquiry has been hearing evidence about what is reasonable and necessary to include as supports for participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Advocates have told the inquiry that sexuality and sexual expression are frequently overlooked for people with a disability. They say there are damaging assumptions about what that community needs or wants.

Victoria has become the latest Australian state to decriminalise public drunkenness. The state government has launched a new health-led approach on Melbourne Cup Day - but the new system has already attracted criticism for not being ready.

A new report reveals a troublesome shift in outbreaks of bird flu. The report shows that outbreaks, previously confined largely to Asia, are now occurring in different regions of the world and affecting larger numbers of poultry. And that poses several threats to humans.

An initiative to help carers in the workplace has been officially unveiled, a year after it was flagged at Australia's jobs and skills summit. The government says it's the first step in a national strategy to better support the estimated 2.6 million people who provide unpaid care to loved ones.

The main organisation representing health-related services to LGBTIQ+ Australians is calling for more funding for its members to deal with what it says is a mental health crisis. LGBTIQ+ Health Australia says some community-controlled health organisations just don't have enough resources to help people who are in distress.

A rising number of people suffering from chronic medical conditions are being forced to request financial assistance to cope with the treatment of their disease. The rise in cost of living pressures is making it increasingly difficult for them to survive their diagnosis.

Gambling could be costing you a lot more than money, and a lot more than you can afford to lose. And if you're a migrant, your risk of harm is greater.

Australians with a disability who want to play video games have long been challenged by the difficulty of using the standard controller for devices such as PlayStation, X-Box or Nintendo. But electronics giant Sony has come up with an early Christmas present: a controller for PlayStation designed specifically for them.

Simply increasing our light exposure during the day and reducing it at night has been proven to make us less vulnerable to mental illness. A new study on light exposure patterns reveals its impact on mental health.

It's painful, comes with a number of complications and is extremely common. The pain from shingles has been described as aching, burning, stabbing or shock-like. And even once you've got over the disease, as many as one in five people suffer from post-herpetic neuralgia, continuing pain which can last from a few months to several years afterwards. But from next month ((1 Nov)), a vaccine will beco...

Losing a limb through amputation is sometimes described by advocates as the 'hidden' disability. National Amputee Awareness Week puts the experience of amputation in the spotlight.

The government is currently considering submissions to a federal inquiry into diabetes, a condition that's on the rise across Australia. Some groups - like pregnant women, First Nations people, and those in rural and remote Australia - carry a heavier burden.

Up to 40 per cent of people who contract COVID-19 experience lingering symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and brain fog. New research from RMIT University in Melbourne says Australia is lagging behind in how it deals with the impact of long COVID.