Headlines on health

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.

The Sydney Gateway Project has been acknowledged for achieving the rare 'Mates in Construction' accreditation in a Sydney event. Mates in Construction is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting greater mental health and suicide prevention within the construction industry and other blue-collar sectors.

The World Health Organisation has authorised a new malaria vaccine. The R-21 vaccine, developed by Oxford University scientists, is only the second to be created. The WHO has said while the previous vaccine is also effective, the new vaccine can be manufactured at a much larger scale, and would offer countries a cheaper option.

Two scientists have won the Nobel Prize for medicine for discoveries that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. The prize has been awarded to Katalin Karikó, a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Drew Weissman, who performed his prizewinning research together with Professor Karikó at the University of Penns...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.