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Follow the latest news about health and wellness, with this collection of reports and interviews from the SBS News team. Hear the story behind the headline.

Aug 7

INTERVIEW: America's diarrhoea dilemma turns deadly

A widespread cyclosporiasis outbreak - which causes explosive diarrhoea - has grown into the largest on record in the United States and this week caused its first known deaths. Medical experts are warning that recent regulatory rollbacks have contributed to the infection's historic scale. The outbreak—now spanning at least nine states—has been sourced to iceberg lettuce from privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico and served at Taco Bell restaurants. Cyclosporiasis, caused by an intestinal parasite, is generally not life-threatening, and the people who died had significant underlying health conditions that were exacerbated by severe dehydration. Gastroenterologist Dr Rabia De Latour is from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and spoke to the Associated Press
Aug 5

INTERVIEW: You think you've got the flu? What should you do?

The flu season is upon us. So if we think we might have come down with some kind of respiratory virus, what should we do? For the best advice, SBS reporter Cameron Carr spoke to Professor Paul Griffin from the University of Queensland School of Medicine
Jul 31

It's not just the wildfires we should worry about; it's the smoke that can kill

Here in Australia, while we may not like them, we are, at least, used to wildfires. They are part of our environment. But people in the northern hemisphere are finding it hard to come to terms with the massive fires blazing across Europe and North America. And while an advancing wildfire is a terrifying sight as it consumes everything in its path, scientists are warning that it's the smoke from wildfires that can also be a serious threat to health.
Jul 17

'Game changer': New blood test could enable Alzheimer's detection years before symptoms

A blood test may predict the start of Alzheimer's symptoms years in advance and doctors say it could become a game changer. The study shows a blood test can help identify healthy people at high risk for Alzheimer's disease and how far their disease has progressed.
Jul 8

INTERVIEW: What does Australia's latest health report reveal ?

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released its 2026 health report, revealing the key drivers of health outcomes across the country, and where targeted attention is most needed. Researchers say Australians born today are expected to live longer than previous generations, cancer survival rates are improving, and coronary heart disease deaths are decreasing. But head of the Institute's Flagship Reporting Unit Melanie Dunford says the findings also show Australia is facing some significant health challenges and persistent inequalities
Jun 20

A spike in drug overdose deaths sparks calls for more action

Australia is losing one person to a drug overdose every three and a half hours. New figures from the Penington Institute show more than 2,500 Australians died from drug-induced causes in a single year, the deadliest year on record. CEO John Ryan says the toll is now almost double the national road toll, and frontline workers warn the illicit drug market is becoming more unpredictable, with addiction affecting people from all walks of life.
Jun 13

'The need is constant': Red Cross calls for more blood donors

For families relying on transfusions, donated blood can mean the difference between life and death. For others, the decision to donate is shaped by culture, experience and how well they understand the system. Lifeblood is urging more Australians to donate blood, warning the need is constant and cannot be met without regular donors. But as Australia's population becomes more diverse, experts say the country's blood supply also needs to reflect that change, with some patients needing blood that is more closely matched to their background.
May 30

SBS Speaks to Dr Marianne Jauncey about NSW's only medically supervised injecting centre

New South Wales’ only medically supervised injecting centre is calling for urgent legal reform to allow more sites to open across the state. It has been 25 years since the centre opened in Sydney’s Kings Cross, becoming the first supervised injecting facility in the Southern Hemisphere. Staff have since supervised more than 1.3 million injections, managed more than 12-thousand overdoses without a single death, and made more than 25-thousand referrals for treatment and care. For more, SBS spoke with the centre's Medical Director Dr Marianne Jauncey. New South Wales’ only medically supervised injecting centre is calling for urgent legal reform to allow more sites to open across the state.It has been 25 years since the centre opened in Sydney’s Kings Cross, becoming the first supervised injecting facility in the Southern Hemisphere.Staff have since supervised more than 1.3 million injections, managed more than 12-thousand overdoses without a single death, and made more than 25-thousand referrals for treatment and care.For more, SBS spoke with the centre's Medical Director Dr Marianne Jauncey.

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Follow the latest news about health and wellness, with this collection of reports and interviews from the SBS News team. Hear the story behind the headline.