Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' health and wellbeing

Victoria is on the cusp of signing a Treaty with Indigenous people. It could change lives

10-09-2025 - The Conversation

Victoria is on the brink of making history. This week, after years of negotiations, the state government tabled a landmark Treaty Bill in parliament. If passed, potentially later this month, it will deliver a formal apology to First Peoples, embed Aboriginal truth-telling in schools and restore traditional names to parks and waterway 

Artificial intelligence in healthcare

Can you say no to your doctor using an AI scribe?

10-09-2025 - The Conversation

Until recently, the AI scribe market has been largely unregulated. But last month the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) – Australia’s medical device regulator – decided some scribes meet the legal definition of a medical device. 

New AI tool can predict a person’s risk of more than 1,000 diseases, say experts

18-09-2025 - The Guardian

Delphi-2M uses diagnoses, ‘medical events’ and lifestyle factors to create forecasts for next decade and beyond. Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence tool that can predict your personal risk of more than 1,000 diseases and forecast changes in health a decade in advance. 

Cannabis

Medicinal cannabis concerns include psychosis and child poisonings. We’re not the only ones worried

12-09-2025 - The Conversation

After a Freedom of Information request, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) told the ABC there had been reports of 615 side effects (known officially as adverse events) in three years to June 2025. These included more than 50 reports of psychosis, and 14 of suicidal thoughts and behaviour. 

COVID-19

Patient feels 'abandoned' as NSW's first long COVID clinic closes

18-09-2025 - ABC

A patient of NSW's first dedicated long COVID clinic in Sydney says she is "devastated" and "bewildered" that it will close at the end of the month. 

Environmental concerns

Heatwaves: how air pollution is worsening effects on health

09-09-2025 - BMJ news (UK)

(Opinion piece) The year has seen record temperatures in many countries. Heat combined with air pollution is a health emergency that requires new approaches from doctors. 

Harm reduction

Bitter pill handed to Queensland's stalled drug checking services

18-09-2025 - ABC

The Queensland government has been unrepentant in its tough stance on drugs, with Health Minister Tim Nicholls telling state parliament this week it doesn't "support drug dealers", writes Janelle Miles. 

Greens call for pill testing trial in South Australia

12-08-2025 - InDaily

The Malinauskas government does not support the introduction of pill testing in SA, but the Greens are calling for action after a recent survey revealed support for the service 

Health research and news

Australian deaths linked to dementia soar to record high, advocates demand urgent government action

12-09-2025 - The Nightly

Australians are dying from dementia more than any other disease, as advocates warn the number of people with the disease could exceed one million without government intervention. 

Health warnings

Heatwaves caused more than 1,000 deaths in Australia over four-year period, study finds

17-09-2025 - The Guardian

Monash researchers say findings underscore urgency of addressing climate-related health risks as continent experiences more days of extreme heat. 

Australians dying from dementia more than any other cause

13-09-2025 - ABC

Advocates warn the number of people with the condition could exceed 1 million without government intervention. 

Infection, prevention and control

There’s a new vaccine for pneumococcal disease in Australia. Here’s what to know

09-09-2025 - The Conversation

The Australian government announced last week there’s a new vaccine for pneumococcal disease on the National Immunisation Program for all children. This vaccine replaces previously listed pneumococcal vaccines, having been updated to offer better protection against the disease. So what is pneumococcal disease? And what is this new vaccine? Read more...

Why bad arguments sound convincing: 10 tricks of logic that underpin vaccine myths

21-08-2025 - The Conversation

(Opinion piece) The biggest lie those who create and spread misinformation perpetrate is that they want you to think for yourself. They warn their target audience not to be “sheep” and not to let themselves be told what to believe by “mainstream” voices, the “deep state” or other bogey men. But in a classic case of misdirection 

Mental health

Antipsychotic-treated patients with schizophrenia see benefits from semaglutide, study claims

17-09-2025 - Medical Xpress

A multicenter collaboration of Danish researchers reports that once-weekly semaglutide for 30 weeks lowered blood sugar levels and body weight and improved physical quality of life in antipsychotic-treated adults with schizophrenia and prediabetes. 

Pain

Australians are in more pain – and our new data shows it’s not just due to ageing

19-09-2025 - The Conversation

The number of Australians who say they experience bodily pain has risen over the past two decades. Gender, age and income all make a difference. 

What is Pain? Explore the science and the radical new paths for relief

11-08-2025 - Cosmos Magazine (CSIRO)

At SAHMRI researchers studying the gut–brain connection have used spider venom to identify specific pain pathways involved in IBS. What’s more, they’ve discovered how that same spider venom could be used to switch off those pathways. .

Policy

Could making tobacco cheaper actually cut down smoking rates? We asked 5 experts

17-09-2025 - The Conversation

Critics of the tobacco excise argue the tax has stopped working to further reduce smoking rates and should be lowered. 

Alarm as WHO accepts increasing amount of dark money from corporate donors | World Health Organization | The Guardian

09-09-2025 - The Guardian (UK)

Experts say millions in corporate funding and concealment of donors’ identities raises key conflict-of-interest concerns 

Population health and programs

States join forces to make their own vaccine recommendations amid CDC turmoil

06-09-2025 - PBS News

Amid turmoil at the CDC, some US states are taking matters into their own hands, forming alliances to review scientific data and make their own vaccine recommendations. John Yang speaks with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, who is also a physician, to learn more about the states' efforts. 

RFK Jr called CDC 'corrupt' and 'horrible' intense meeting, says sacked health boss

17-09-2025 - BBC News

Susan Monarez, sacked as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director in August, tells a US Senate hearing that Health Secretary RFK Jr demanded that she approve every recommendation from ACIP, an immunisation committee, "regardless of the scientific evidence". The second thing, was that Kennedy "directed me to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cause. 

Social issues

South Australia’s domestic and sexual violence royal commission recommendations should be embraced across the country

20-08-2025 - The Conversation

The South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence has released its final report. Led by Royal Commissioner Natasha Stott Despoja, the 700-page report presents findings from extensive consultations, including more than 380 written submissions, 800 survey responses, ten days of public hearings and submissions completed over 13 months. The 136 recommendations provide a 

Women's health

Tasmanian women may soon be able to access public homebirths

12-09-2025 - ABC

A proposal by the Tasmanian government to introduce a public homebirth model has been welcomed by those in the sector.

Workforce

‘Your identity is torn apart’: A GP’s tale of substance use recovery

19-09-2025 - News GP

A doctors’ support group helped Dr Tim Blake after addiction brought his life crashing down. Now, he hopes to inspire others in their darkest hour.