The notion that obesity mostly afflicts the poor is a misconception.
Hedonism and pleasure is what drives much binge drinking. So let’s provide people with alternative ways of having fun, but without the alcohol.
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Traditional medicine is believed to be accessible and affordable but should be made complimentary to contemporary medicine in the treatment of mental disorders.
A new version of Gardasil, the HPV vaccine that protects against cervical cancer, has just been approved for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule.
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A new version of the HPV vaccine Gardasil protects against nine types of the virus, and is already being used overseas.
As many people have had to wade through floodwaters, they need to be aware of the risk of infection and disease from contaminated waters.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
As Houston continues to rescue residents whose homes were ruined, it also begins to deal with issues related to contaminated floodwaters and overflowing reservoirs. It won’t be easy.
Calls to routinely offer breast cancer screening to more women might sound like a good idea, but can harm. Here are three questions to ask when figuring out whether more screening really is better.
Soaring heating costs mean many vulnerable Australians endure cold houses and the associated risks to their health.
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The idea of a hot and sunny land is so baked into our thinking about Australia that we’ve failed to design and build houses that protect us from the cold.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals have distinct functions but are interrelated and requires an integrated approach from both scientists and policymakers.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, HIV is still highly stigmatised.
MSF/Tommy Trenchard
HIV remains a synonym for death in Kinshasa and many leave testing and treatment until it’s too late. It’s not common knowledge that an infected person can live a normal and healthy life.
People without ID, like Steven Kemp, are sometimes turned away from the country’s already threadbare system of drug treatment centers.
Matt Rourke/AP Photo
President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency. But we need to do a lot more to prevent this crisis from escalating even further.
Generic plotting of ‘green space’ on an urban plan does not target mental wellbeing unless it is designed to engage us with the sights, sounds and smells of nature.
Zoe Myers
Successful parks and urban green spaces encourage us to linger, to rest, to walk for longer. That, in turn, provides the time to maximise the restorative mental benefits.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is one of many African leaders to have gone abroad for medical treatment.
Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde
Health care systems in many African countries are very poor. Instead of fixing them, many African leaders seek medical attention abroad incurring huge bills which are ultimately paid by taxpayers.
South African learners receiving two meals, despite being from arguably poorer backgrounds, had statistically significantly lower stunting levels than children receiving only one meal.
Green space, easily accessible to everyone no matter what their income, should be a priority in designing high-density residential areas.
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Being crowded into poor-quality high-density units harms residents’ health, but design features that are known to promote wellbeing can make a big difference to the lives of low-income households.
Most common childhood cancers are leukemia and Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Most children who have cancer live in the developing world where their survival rate is less than 25%. In Kenya awareness about childhood cancer is low and treatment isn’t always readily available.
Baby boomers who drink and take drugs risk a range of physical and mental problems that younger substance users don’t necessarily face.
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More Australians over 50 are drinking and taking drugs than ever before. Here’s why that can be a problem.
A recent study of medical students and residents found they were reluctant to engage with parents who have vaccination fears. But listening to parents is important.
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A recent study suggests that shunning parents who are reluctant to vaccinate their kids isn’t the best strategy. A better strategy might be old-fashioned, but it works.
Women who don’t get enough to eat while pregnant face a high risk of developing common mental illnesses like depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after giving birth.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand
Principal Medical Scientist and Head of Laboratory for Antimalarial Resistance Monitoring and Malaria Operational Research, National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne