Headlines on health

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.

Australians at higher risk of lung cancer are being urged to take advantage of a new screening program that has launched this month. The scan will be free for patients under Medicare bulk-billing through GPs, with eligibility to be determined by age - those between 50 and 70 - and smoking history. It is the first new national cancer screening program in nearly 20 years. Lung cancer is Australia’s...

Lung cancer is Australia’s fifth most diagnosed cancer, but causes the greatest number of deaths because it is often diagnosed too late. A new screening program has become available that hopes to detect cases much earlier for those at the highest risk - which includes Indigenous Australians and some migrant communities.

Heart failure is a growing problem with at least half a million Australians living with it at any given time - and more than 67,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Heart failure is responsible for approximately 61,000 deaths annually, numbers that are likely to increase with the growing and ageing population. Advocates say they are worried a lack of awareness about the condition is leaving Australi...

A new vaccine advisory panel appointed by US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced it will study the schedule of childhood and adolescent immunisations and review the use of older vaccines. It's also recommended single dose flu vaccination formulas which is thimerosal-free. The announcements have caused some alarm, with some concerned it's promoting long debunked claims and embedding...

Leaders from around 50 medical groups have gathered in Canberra to tackle some of the thorniest issues facing Australia's heath system. The Australian Medical Association is among the organisations to attend. The AMA argues that logjams in public hospitals, rural communities struggling to access care and the shuttering of private hospitals and services shows the health of Australia's care system i...

Research shows refugees and asylum seekers in Australia experience disproportionately high rates of suicide, PTSD and psychological distress. Mental health challenges are often further exacerbated by a lack of access to culturally appropriate care and information. Wesley LifeForce is one organisation working to fill this gap, by offering suicide prevention training for refugees in six languages.

The UK's original abortion law - approved in 1861 - stipulated that deliberately ending a pregnancy was a crime, and those who carried it out could be kept in penal servitude for life. The Parliament has now approved an amendment to that law to stop women from being prosecuted, which one Labour MP says has been happening to hundreds of vulnerable people over the years.

Victoria has confirmed plans to open its first fixed pill-testing site in Fitzroy, one of Melbourne's most popular nightlife areas. The service will offer testing for most substances - and act as an early detection point for authorities on the lookout for highly dangerous synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and Nitazenes, which can be mixed with other drugs. The decision puts Victoria in a unique p...

A new report has found that high medical costs have caused almost two million Australians to delay or skip appointments with specialist doctors. The report from the Grattan Institute says some specialists in the private sector charge patients two to three times more than the rate Medicare sets for those services. The Institute suggests stripping public funding to doctors charging excessive fees co...

Four months after a fertility clinic data breach, a customer feels uninformed about the investigation, and how it affects him and a donor-conceived child. Meanwhile, their family histories of medication and mental illness are being shared online by cyber criminals. A warning to listeners, this story contains some explicit language.

A new report from consumer advocacy group CHOICE has found only four out of 20 popular sunscreen products actually meet their claims of sun protection. The findings have sparked concerns among consumers. But experts and advocates say putting on sunscreen is still important for skin cancer prevention.

For decades, 'drugs' has been a dirty word in sport, but a new competition is attempting to change that. The 'Enhanced Games' is set to launch in Las Vegas next year, with competitors openly doped. World sporting bodies say the concept is dangerous and risks athletes' health.

Health authorities in Australia have approved a new drug that could slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

A baby born with a rare, life-threatening genetic disease is now thriving after receiving an experimental gene-editing treatment. He's one of the first to be successfully treated with a bespoke therapy targeting a tiny but deadly error in his DNA. His doctors hope the technology could one day help the estimated 350 million people worldwide with rare diseases.

A bill to improve access to abortions in regional New South Wales has been approved in the state's Parliament, amid passionate debate. The legislation, tabled by Greens MP Amanda Cohn, was introduced after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024.

National Palliative Care Week is in its 30th year, with this year's theme: 'What's your plan?, aiming to encourage conversations around end of life care. Part of this could include discussing and implementing culturally appropriate customs and traditions related to death and dying for residents and their families, an issue being addressed through a new online course.

One in five people in Australia and New Zealand will experience chronic pain at some stage in their lives; and it's recognised as a major global health issue. Unrelieved pain can affect every area of a person's life with major social, financial and emotional consequences. Researchers at the University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia have done a randomised trial focusing on t...