Headlines on health

Dr Michael Mosley, a celebrated British doctor and television journalist, has been found dead on the Greek island of Symi. His body was discovered four days after he failed to return from a walk. He had dedicated his career to promoting health and well-being.

There's fresh hope in the fight against deadly childhood cancers, with trials of a new approach doubling survival rates for some patients. Genome sequencing is being used to better match treatment to a child's cancer driver genes in what’s called personalised medicine. Australian researchers say the outcome is the result of almost 10 years of work.

Scientists and health authorities are on alert for signs that bird flu is adapting to spread more easily among humans. It comes after the World Health Organization said a man's death in Mexico was caused by a new strain of bird flu that has never before been found in a human.

There are promising developments in the fight against melanoma with new treatment options offering fresh hope for patients. Research involving Australian scientists has made a breakthrough - it's found a powerful combination of immunotherapy drugs, given before cancer removal, can drastically improve survival rates.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community agreed it needed new systems to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response. But the World Health Organisation meeting in Geneva remains at odds this week over a new landmark pandemic treaty. Having failed to agree a finalised draft ahead of the meeting, it appears now that agreement on a new timeline cannot be reached. And scientists are warning the next pandemic is "just around the corner."

A New South Wales birth trauma inquiry has been released, making 43 recommendations to the New South Wales government. These include implementing trauma-informed care, reviewing laws around informed consent and improving mental health support and postpartum services.

New data from the Leukemia Foundation reveals that eight per cent of Australians will be diagnosed with a form of Blood Cancer in their lifetime. The foundation says it's critical for Australians to know about the condition that can impact anyone.

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is reportedly withdrawing its COVID-19 vaccine worldwide. The vaccine was discontinued by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Authority in April 2023 after findings of adverse side effects.

Hand-sanitising prayer beads have been launched to help curb the spread of germs among Muslim pilgrims at this year's Hajj. The prayer beads (or Tasbih) are coated in tea tree oil and uniquely designed to preserve spiritual practices. They're being distributed to pilgrims on Saudia airlines flights, as well as in Mecca itself.

About one-in-ten people across Australia provide unpaid care for a loved one with a disability or an older person and roughly 304,500 of them receive the government carer payment. The Albanese government has unveiled changes to the support payment to allow them greater flexibility in the hours they can work.

Fewer people follow a formal religion, according to the latest Census. In fact, almost 40 per cent of people in Australia now identify as ‘no religion’. However, in times of crisis many still reach out for support. And that’s where non-religious spiritual carers step in.

New research shows that some people living with HIV are choosing cheaper and suboptimal antiretroviral treatment out of fear that their applications for permanent residency will be rejected. Applicants must show that their medical spending will not exceed more than $51,000 over 10 years — a requirement, known as the Significant Cost Threshold. Experts say these rules for migrants are unfair and can compromise Australia’s goal to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.

Walking is something many of us take for granted. But a new study has revealed the enormous health benefits that walking just once a week can have, especially for those aged 70 and over.

In this episode of Cost of Living Secrets with Ricardo Goncalves and Peggy Giakoumelos, we talk about saving when visiting your doctor. New South Wales and ACT chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Dr Rebekah Hoffman shares her tips on:

Patients at high risk of their breast cancer returning will soon have access to a treatment that could prevent just that. For some a re-diagnosis is their biggest fear, which is why improved access to a key drug is considered an important step.

New research from Monash University has identified the Australian Local Government Areas with the highest rates of cardiac arrest and lowest rates of bystander CPR. Experts say it calls for a targeted educational approach, as survival is doubled when C-P-R is given by bystanders.

Rugby league icon Wally Lewis has made an impassioned plea for further funding into concussion and traumatic brain injury research. The Queensland great used his address at the National Press Club to open up about his experience with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

Health experts are warning of new super-strength synthetic opioids making their way into Australia with deadly consequences. They're up to fifty times stronger than fentanyl and have already been linked to a string of fatal heroin overdoses.

The so-called 'war on drugs' has been waged in the US since at least the 1970s, when then President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act and declared drug abuse as “public enemy number one.” In Australia, there have been similar efforts to battle drug trafficking and use. As prescription opioids overtake heroin as a public health emergency, those efforts have expanded to restrict the control and supply of those substances too. First Nations people have been much more heavily impacted by substance issues and official responses than the non-Indigenous population. In this Episode of The Too Hard Basket, and in the final story of a three part series on drugs in Australia, we look at how these issues play out for Indigenous communities.

Most of us might be familiar with the term 'the war on drugs'. In the US, it's been waged since the 1970s, when then President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act and declared drug abuse as “public enemy number one.” In Australia, there have been similar efforts historically to battle drug trafficking and drug use. On today's episode of The Too Hard Basket, we look at how state and federal governments are now handling these issues, and if a hardline approach is still the answer. This is the second story in a three part series on drugs in Australia.