Injecting room boss ‘ready to quit’ over drug inaction
Nearly 5000 places hand out free syringes but only two take the next step and supervise drug users, which must change soon, say key reform advocates.
health
‘Russian roulette’: deadly drug alert as imports surge
Federal police are warning commonplace drugs like cocaine and MDMA are increasingly laced with a powerful type of synthetic opioid.
Drug decriminalisation push nipped in the bud, for now
A broad consensus for treating drug use and possession outside the justice system in a government-run drug summit butts up against current policies.
Breaking down period stigma in remote communities
As menstrual health can impact educational outcomes and quality of life, researchers have developed a teaching guide hoping to break down stigma around periods.
Beyond The Valley to host pill testing in state first
Beyond The Valley will be the first Victorian music festival to trial pill testing in an effort to curb overdoses and save lives.
Aged care revamp to shake up Australians’ golden years
Older Australians will be able to live at home for longer and receive better protections in aged care after a sector overhaul passed parliament.
Drive with care: Uber launches service for extra help
A rideshare service trialled in the United States will be launched in Australia, letting caregivers book rides for the people they help.
Baby dies amid unprecedented whooping cough outbreak
A newborn baby is dead and infections are surging as health authorities scramble to contain a worsening national whooping cough epidemic.
Chronic conditions on the rise among Indigenous people
The number of Indigenous people smoking daily has dropped, while mental health conditions have risen, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.
‘Significant’ jump in COVID-19 cases ahead of Christmas
A surge in COVID-19 cases has hit ahead of the festive season with health authorities warning those at risk to take precautions to avoid getting sick.
Residents demand health inquiry into ‘waste odour’
A massive fine for a waste operator has sparked calls by frustrated residents for an investigation into the health impact of "rotten egg" and "chemical" odours.
‘Nightmare’: PM’s tribute after teen’s methanol death
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones following her death from suspected methanol poisoning in Laos.
‘Fix this’: torn-up contracts not in patients’ interest
A major private hospital operator and multiple insurers have been urged to negotiate as contracts are torn up, likely to result in patients paying more.
Swimming changing lives for those with cerebral palsy
A groundbreaking competitive swimming program designed for young people with severe cerebral palsy is reversing the motor decline associated with the condition.
New parents urged to ‘make the call’ on mental health
New parents are struggling with their mental health, a perinatal anxiety and depression helpline says as it records a surge in calls from Indigenous families.
Record number of GPs in training but ‘job not done’
Australia is facing a severe shortage of GPs. Though more medical students are opting to become local doctors, peak medical bodies say more must be done.
Home tests for STIs to improve access but not diagnosis
Home tests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea could be available within weeks but the jury is out on how effective they will be in reducing infection rates.
Cholera blamed for beseiged Sudan town’s mystery deaths
Cholera is thought to be the cause of hundreds of deaths in a besieged town in Sudan's El Gezira state.
Mind check: should schools track kids’ mental health?
Australian schools will have access to a government-funded digital tool to support students' mental health but some question whether it will be effective.
Eight killed in second mass attack in China in a week
Police say a former student who killed eight people in a stabbing spree at a vocational college in China was angry he did not get his graduation certificate.
Big police pay rise sparks ructions in other wage deals
Police and nurses point to a big pay increase for officers in one jurisdiction while threatening strike action as their wage negotiations deteriorate.
Thousands rally as nurses reject one-or-the-other deal
Angry nurses will not accept delaying their demand for improved staffing ratios as a condition of securing a major pay rise.
Dutton supports abortion access, hits out at ‘games’
Peter Dutton backs a woman's right to access abortion services, and has hit out at attempts to "play games" with a state-based issue.
Undervalued and lonely: older Australians struggling
A majority of older people are experiencing loneliness and struggling to connect with society, with some even battling to leave their houses.
Deadly cough spreading like wildfire amid record cases
Australians are falling behind on whooping cough vaccinations as the nation faces its worst outbreak of the deadly bacterial disease.
Psychology goes in search of new age Aussie farmers
Researchers are looking into whether psychology can help improve workplace practices on Australia's cotton farms, in a bid to better attract and retain workers.
Baby Jasper’s brave battle with rare nerve cell cancer
One in 8000 Australian babies will develop neuroblastoma or nerve cell cancer but if it's caught early, they can survive.
Mission to inspire generation of Indigenous pharmacists
Yuwi pharmacist and academic Dr Jared Miles has made it his mission to address the under-representation of Indigenous people in his field.
Babies, pregnant mums to have greater RSV protection
The federal government will provide free access to vaccines protecting expectant mums and babies from respiratory syncytial virus.
Pill testing to go ahead at Schoolies after backflip
The Queensland government remains staunchly against pill testing, but the free and confidential service will go ahead at Schoolies in a matter of weeks.
Routine check-up saved man’s life, huge tumour found
A Brisbane man had no idea he had a two kilo ticking time bomb lurking in his liver until a routine doctor's appointment found something was seriously wrong.