Health Report - Separate stories podcast

Nov 01 2024 50 ep. 8 mins 817
Health Report - Separate stories podcast artwork

Specialist and mainstream audiences alike rely on the Health Report to bring clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.

  Health & Fitness
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Inquiry into how Australia handled the COVID-19 pandemic

Nov 01 2024 11 mins  
The latest health news, including an inquiry into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what can be done better during pandemics. And what's behind the dip in Australia's childhood vaccination rates? References COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report ‘Worse-placed than in 2020’: Where Australia’s pandemic response went wrong, Sydney Morning Herald Access barriers

Ancient gene influencing immunity in First Nations people

Nov 01 2024 9 mins  
A gene variant has been discovered that could explain susceptibility to disease among First Nations people in Oceania. The variation affects the natural killer cells, which play a vital role in the first line of immune defence. It's a discovery that could have implications for the treatment of diseases like tuberculosis and cancer. Guest Professor Andrew Brooks, immunologist at

Bioengineering skin for deep burns

Nov 01 2024 8 mins  
Could skin grown in a lab be used to treat severe burns? Spray on skin, another Australian invention, has been hugely successful in treating first and second degree burns. However third degree burns are still difficult to treat, and require skin to be taken from elsewhere on the body and grafted onto the wound. Melbourne's Skin Bioengineering Laboratory has learnt how to grow ne

How physiotherapy can help women have better sex

Nov 01 2024 6 mins  
Painful sex is common — some research suggests it might affect up to 35 per cent of sexually active women. But just because it's common doesn't mean it's normal, or something that can't be resolved. There are interventions that work, including pelvic floor physiotherapy. But are there enough specialists to meet demand? Guests Alex Barwick, ABC Alice Springs Daisy Anna Lennie,

'Forever chemicals' in drinking water, and Egypt is malaria-free

Oct 25 2024 8 mins  
The latest health news, including new guidelines to limit "forever chemicals" per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — or PFAS — in drinking water. And Egypt has been certified malaria-free. References Australian Drinking Water Guidelines - Public Consultation on Draft Guidance for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) PFAS Australia: 'Forever chemicals' safe limits slashed

Type 2 diabetes is declining, but not equally

Oct 25 2024 10 mins  
The incidence of type 2 diabetes among Australian adults is declining. However this decline is not being seen across all ethnic backgrounds. From 2011 to 2019, the incidence increased among those born in Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and Pacific Islands. It has prompted calls to adjust prevention strategies to better serve people from culturally and linguistically diverse b

The impact of juvenile arthritis

Oct 25 2024 10 mins  
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a group of inflammatory joint conditions that affect children and teens under the age of 16. An Australian study has documented the physical, mental, social and financial burden of these conditions on young people and their families. It has identified "unacceptable delays" in diagnosis, and an ongoing lack of awareness among health professio

Why some people stick with running groups and others don't

Oct 25 2024 8 mins  
Have you been invited to join a running group lately? It's likely, in part because of the growing popularity of events like Parkrun. It's one thing to cave under peer pressure and drop into a single Sunday sesh, and another to become a regular attendant. Thanks to a three-year study of Parkrun data, we now know more about why some people stick with it. Guests Anne Grunseit, Asso

Mailbag: Has Australia dropped the ball on Novavax?

Oct 25 2024 7 mins  
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at [email protected]

The viruses infecting us this Spring and incorrect blood pressure readings

Oct 18 2024 7 mins  
The latest health news, including the burst of viral illnesses we've seen recently in Australia — and which viruses are behind them. And was your last blood pressure reading accurate? A new study shows common but incorrect arm positions for these measurements can lead to overestimates. References NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, October 2024 Arm Position and Blood Pressure