Disaster counselling can do more harm than good

Immediate psychological counselling was offered to those affected by the Hunter Valley bus accident, as it is after every similar disaster, but the evidence shows this approach, however well-meaning, may be counter-productive.

Rural health needs more than workers

Disparities in health outcome across Australia’s population have been extensively documented, but simply increasing the number of medical staff in rural regions isn’t the complete answer.

Eat fresh

Adopting aspects of the famous Mediterranean diet could help cut your food bills as well as improve your health.

Investing in research

A study co-led by The University of Queensland has found Australia is lagging behind similar countries in funding basic research, particularly in the medical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors.

How old are you on the inside?

The biological age of a person’s brain and body could be routinely measured in the doctor’s clinic to identify people at risk of chronic disease and enable early lifestyle adjustments and medications.

Fewer superdrugs for more superbugs

Just 12 new antibiotics have entered the market from 2017 to 2021, according to a World Health Organization review that says the antibiotics currently in the pipeline aren’t enough to keep up with the rise in antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’.

Merchants of death

Tobacco companies reap vast profits from selling a product they know will kill or cripple many of their customers, so it’s little surprise they continue to oppose any attempts to reduce the health toll of their poisonous products.

Sex, lies and vape advertising

It’s time to stop the promotion of vaping products through online retailers and ban the use of unsubstantiated marketing claims.

COVID’s still a problem

COVID has fallen out of the headlines and public consciousness, but it still takes its toll of people’s lives and health, and burdens the health system.

Smoking 2.0

Vaping advocates argue we need vapes to help smokers quit, but the evidence they do that is weak, indeed vaping offers a gateway to smoking, and is dangerous to users and obnoxious to others in itself.

Placebo health

New research into the elusive ‘placebo’ effect suggests we have more control over our bodies than was previously thought – maybe faith can indeed move mountains.

DNA databases

Collecting DNA data is not much help without the key to understanding what it all means, and that key is centralised health records.