In 2009 Australia launched a National Preventive Health Strategy with the aim of being the healthiest country in the world by 2020. The strategy focused on tobacco use, alcohol use, and obesity. Although on tobacco and alcohol we're improving, the situation for obesity has worsened.

One of the measures taken to prevent virus transmission has been social distancing and lockdown, but these can have their own negative health impact. A study on the behaviour of teens undertaken during the pandemic identified some of the particular health risks for this group.

People with Type 1 diabetes need to monitor what's going on with their bodies because they can't make insulin—and it's vital in maintaining blood glucose. An imbalance can be dangerous and damage blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys.

Updated versions of coronavirus vaccines targeting the Omicron variant have recently been announced by Pfizer and Moderna. There's been an impressive turnaround time and yet still the virus has continued to mutate.

Australia has recorded a lot of COVID-19 cases, and about 10 per cent of affected people have had prolonged symptoms, consequently there are many stories from those who say they have long COVID but unable to access help.

Research on links between mental health and premature mortality has some disturbing conclusions—a mental health disorder can impact future mental health as well as physical health.

The risk factors for heart disease or stroke are often high blood pressure, cholesterol, and maybe smoking. But Indigenous people think that the wisdom of culture can help combat these negative elements.

Does Australia need a Disease Control Centre? How would it operate, and what work would be done there?

About one in 10 Australians have osteoarthritis — it's caused by the wear and tear of the cushioning in your body's joints, and it can be painful to the point of being debilitating.

We know healthy food is good for our body, but evidence shows it's good for our mind too, and the peak body for dietetics in Australia wants nutrition help to be covered by Medicare in mental health plans.