Headlines on health

It's Dementia Action week, and Alyssa Gamaldo-Roddy is a professor in the Department of Psychology and Institute for Engaged Aging at Clemson University in South Carolina in the United States. Her research focuses on identifying adverse and protective factors associated with cognitive functioning, particularly in populations at risk for Alzheimer’s and related dementia. She also discusses how agin...

There is no link between mobile phone use and brain and head cancers - that's according to a new Australian-led systematic review - commisioned by the World Health Organization. The researchers say the study provides the strongest evidence to date that radio waves from wireless technologies are not harmful to humans.

Australian scientists have made a world-first breakthrough creating lab engineered blood stem cells that closely resemble those found in the human body. They say the discovery could one day put an end to the search for 'perfectly matched' bone marrow donors that are often needed to treat those with leukaemia serious and blood disorders.

A researcher says most Australians support the use of supervised drug injecting rooms with more than 50 per cent of people in every jurisdiction backing the public health measure. A drug injecting room has operated at Kings Cross in Sydney for the past 23 years and a similar facility at North Richmond in Melbourne has been operating since 2018. But efforts to set up additional centres have been pr...

Health authorities across Australia are encouraging at risk people to get fully vaccinated for mpox as the number of cases grows. There have been more than 340 cases this year which is more than double the number during the last outbreak in 2022. The outbreak in Australia is less severe than the one causing serious illness and deaths in parts of Africa. Dr Tom Morley is a sexual health doctor at T...

Researchers at a university in Perth have developed an immersive virtual reality program to assist frontline healthcare workers in managing aggressive patients. The idea is to expose clinicians and students to realistic simulations, without placing them at risk of actual harm.

The New South Wales government has pledged support for all the recommendations of a world-first birth trauma inquiry. But mothers and advocates in the space say they are disappointed by a lack of urgent commitment to continuity of midwifery care models.

For many in Australia the fear of one day being diagnosed with cancer is something they dread. But there is something perhaps even more dreadful for those diagnosed; discrimination during cancer treatment, because of who you are or where you come from. A new campaign by the Leukaemia Foundation aims to face that issue head on:

The development of the first drug in 30 years that modifies the disease - and not just the symptoms - of the most common form of dementia has given hope to patients. The drug Lecanemab is now undergoing a regulatory approval process in Australia and other countries in the world, but its exorbitant cost means few will be able to access it.

New research from Australian doctors suggests a simple change to infant care could save lives. Researchers at the University of Sydney have found that giving premature babies higher concentrations of oxygen has a dramatic effect on the child’s chances of survival.

Since Voluntary Assisted Dying (known as VAD) was legalised in Australia, over 2,400 terminally ill people have chosen to end their lives this way. Dr Bu O'Brien is one of the few Voluntary Assisted Dying practitioners. I asked her about why she has chosen this path. My name is Essam Al-Ghalib, and this is SBS Audio's Weekend One on One.

A new case of mpox has been reported in Pakistan, following a case in Sweden. Authorities are working to confirm if it's a worrying new variant, days after the WHO declared the virus's spread a global health emergency.

The World Health Organisation has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to neighbouring countries. With a new variant of the viral infection and cases appearing in more and more countries, including Australia, health officials are calling for international efforts to stop the spread.

Since Voluntary Assisted Dying was legalised in Australia, over 2,460 terminally ill people have chosen this option. A report by Go Gentle Australia highlights the system's successes but calls for more trained healthcare professionals, streamlined processes, and better support for remote and First Nations communities.

Babies and toddlers could be missing out on the nutritional value needed for healthy growth as some baby foods in Australia fail to meet WHO standards. Many baby food companies are falsely labelling their products, misleading parents and carers into believing they are healthy. Researchers are urging for food regulations in the country to be modified.

Loneliness is essentially a feeling of not having the connection or companionship someone wants and needs. For some people, those feelings can last a long time. Experts and those with lived experience are hoping to change that, especially for those who are more vulnerable to social isolation.

New research has found men from migrant backgrounds experience poorer health outcomes, the longer they live in Australia. It's among a range of findings by the Movember Institute of Men's Health, showing barriers to accessing care are among the biggest challenges they face.

The average diagnosis for endometriosis is between 7 and 12 years, while a Senate inquiry is currently looking into issues related to perimenopause and menopause. At the same time, there are prevailing gaps in knowledge around other health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome. So what are the consequences of a delayed diagnosis for women and trans people?

Victorian health authorities say they've identified the source of the state's deadly legionnaires' outbreak. So far, there are 77 confirmed patients, and an additional nine suspected cases. Two people have died as a result of the outbreak - Victoria's worst in two decades. So what exactly is legionnaires disease and what caused the surge in cases?

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world with Melanoma being typically the most serious type. But new research has discovered in the last 20 years, deaths from a high risk form of non-melanoma skin cancer have doubled.

Researchers using a nasal vaccine approved in India and licensed for U-S development found that vaccinated hamsters didn’t spread the virus, unlike those receiving traditional injected vaccines. Published on July 31 in Science Advances, these findings indicate that mucosal vaccines could be crucial for controlling respiratory infections like COVID-19 and influenza. Essam Al-Ghalib spoke with the s...

It was a historic moment for Australia... as Western Australia became the last state in the country to decriminalise abortion in March this year. The federal government also committed just over $6 million dollars in funding to contraceptive care in the May budget. But there are still barriers around accessing safe and affordable sexual and reproductive health care for women and the LGBTQI+ communi...

For those grieving the loss of a family member, immediately deciding whether to donate the organs of their loved ones can be confronting and stressful. That's why - at the start of Donate Life Week - Australians are being encouraged to register as organ and tissue donors, to potentially save the lives of many others.

Hepatitis is the second leading cause of infectious deaths around the world. But experts say most types of hepatitis are treatable, and are calling for members of the community to get themselves tested to prevent further transmission.

A world-first New South Wales birth trauma inquiry released at the end of May made 43 recommendations for the state government. These include implementing trauma-informed care, reviewing laws around informed consent and improving mental health support and postpartum services. So what are the birth experiences of people in Australia which led to this inquiry?