Headlines on health

A framework has been developed to track and improve the treatment options for dementia patients in aged care. The proposal come after the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare named dementia as the leading cause of death in Australia.

After years of trying to conceive, Isabel Lewis thought the hard part was over — until cybercriminals targeted her fertility clinic. The data breach at Genea Fertility included patient's medical histories, diagnoses and treatments, medications and prescriptions, as well as pathology and diagnostic test results. Now, hundreds of Australians have shown interest in a class action lawsuit over the bre...

Using your phone while on the toilet could be linked to an increased chance of haemorrhoids, according to a study from the United States. So if you're a loo scroller, the extra time spent on the toilet could be doing you more harm than good.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has produced a snap shot of Women’s health across the life course. While rates of cancer have gone down for women over the last 25 years, younger women continue to experience higher rates of depression and other mental health conditions.

Despite being a proven life-saving treatment, 1 in 5 Australians who need radiotherapy never receive it. This year, on September 7, the first-ever World Radiotherapy Awareness Day will be launched, and experts say it's an opportunity to dispel fears of the treatment.

20,000 more home care packages are to be available to vulnerable older Australians after the federal government was forced to make a deal with the Coalition. It was the first major test faced by Labor since it was re-elected, which was cornered in the senate to make changes to its aged care reform policy.

The number of Australians living with allergy has doubled in nearly 20 years, according to a new report, which examines the financial and personal costs of the chronic condition. Demand for services is unprecedented, and experts warn allergy does not just impact health - it can reshape sufferers’ lives.

The number of children being diagnosed with autism is rising, putting a heavy strain on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The government has responded, announcing a plan to divert children away from the NDIS to a new scheme called Thriving Kids. Parents and autism advocates say they were unaware of the strategy until it was made public.

Public health experts have raised concerns about the beliefs and behaviours of individuals of reproductive age on social media. In a recent study, La Trobe University researchers looked into the rise of contraceptive misinformation on TikTok.

A chikungunya outbreak in China has infected more than 7,000 people. Chikungunya causes fever and joint pain, but in some cases can be fatal. There is no vaccine or real treatment. Epidemiologist Jason Rasgon, from Penn State University, explains how the disease is transmitted, and why it seems to be spreading to new areas. The chikungunya virus is not currently endemic in Australia. There have be...

Around the world, fertility rates are dropping. The rate for each generation to replace itself is an average of 2.1 births per woman - and many countries are well below that figure. Does it matter? Surely reducing the population will make the Earth's resources go further? In this edition of Weekend One on One we hear from Associate Professor Michael Giarrusso from the University of Texas, who says...

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle have tested a new HIV vaccine using mRNA, the technology behind many COVID-19 vaccines. Scientists say results from the early-stage clinical trial offer hope for significant progress in the global effort to develop a safe and effective HIV vaccine. For this episode of Weekend One on One, Angelica Waite has been speaking with Associate P...

The Australian Dental Association says around 1.5 million kids are missing out on free dental care every year. This Dental Health Week, dentists are urging parents to check if they're eligible for the free dental cover and to brush up on their understanding of good oral hygiene. Meanwhile, Aboriginal health organisations say awareness around the issue is not the only barrier facing First Nations a...

A new report has revealed just how disproportionately migrant communities are affected by hepatitis. Underdiagnosis of the infection, and connecting patients with care and treatment, remain the major challenges.

An Australian early intervention program for deaf children is, for the first time, being piloted overseas. The therapy is for children whose family have chosen for them to be fitted with a hearing device such as a cochlear implant. The collaboration between not-for-profit The Shepherd Centre and health officials in Japan is a decade in the making.

A leading scientist has recommended that dementia be treated as an economic crisis as well as a health issue. Over 400,000 Australians live with dementia, and with an ageing population, this is expected to double by 2050. But dementia advocates say research funding in Australia lags behind other conditions, limiting access to life-changing dementia prevention and management programs.

Around four million Australians, or one in five, are living with chronic pain. Many report feeling overlooked and ignored within the healthcare system, prompting experts to call for greater national investment, including a more holistic approach to care.

The second Australian case of a rare strain of mpox virus has been detected in south-east Queensland. Queensland Health says the patient - who is now being treated at a Brisbane hospital - acquired the virus in central Africa.

Death confronts 180,000 people in Australia and their families every year. Yet few have prepared a will or left clear instructions about their end-of-life choices. To help ease the process, an expanding social enterprise offers support and guidance.

Eight healthy babies have been born in Britain with the help of an experimental technique that uses DNA from three people to help mothers avoid passing devastating rare diseases to their children. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA can affect multiple organs, particularly those that require high energy, such as the brain, liver, heart, muscles and kidneys. The new technique has spurred considerable in...

Experts are warning young adults and parents of young children to be aware of early symptoms of meningococcal disease, as Australia enters its peak season. The bacterial infection can strike without warning and progress rapidly, in many cases causing death or leading to life-changing complications.

Health experts are calling for more early action to prevent the seventh most common cause of death in Australia: diabetes. The Royal Australian College of G-Ps are urging Australians to see their doctor and make steps to change their lifestyle now to avoid long-term health struggles in later life. The George Institute for Global Health is also pushing for a sugar tax and subsidies on fresh fruits...

For the first time in 40 years, sexually active gay and bisexual men are able to donate plasma in Australia. The changes to Lifeblood's screening questions mean more than 600,000 additional Australians are eligible to donate the 'liquid gold' part of blood.

Australia's Law Reform Commission is currently conducting an inquiry into surrogacy law across the country. Sarah Jefford is a family creation lawyer practising across Australia, and a former surrogate. She has spoken with SBS's Deborah Groarke on the aims of the review, and what surrogacy currently looks like in Australia and the world

A large systematic review has been released looking at antidepressant withdrawal symptoms. The meta-analysis examined the findings of 50 randomised controlled trials, involving 17 828 participants. The average age of the participants was 44, and 70 per cent were female. Health professionals in Australia say the review provides useful insights, and there is room for further research in this area.