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Making a difference
Dr Jaqui Hughes, an Indigenous kidney specialist, is the winner of the prestigious northern territory Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year Award. Jaqui’s father’s people are Wagedagam from Mabuiag Island in the Western islands of the Torres Strait, while her Mum’s side of the family hail from around Darwin. Jaqui grew up in Darwin, […]
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Feeling flat?
Do you always feel tired? Feel like you are running on empty? This is a common feeling, with most people wishing they had more energy. The stress of dealing with the sheer pace of modern life seems to be a common factor when it comes to feeling sapped of energy. In order to get that […]
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Auto-immune disorders
Auto-immune disorders OCCUR when a person’s usually helpful mmune system mistakenly attacks his or her body. There are around 80 auto-immune disorders, ranging from mild to disabling, depending on which part of the body is under attack and to what degree. These disorders are also thought to be the root cause of many other diseases, […]
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A good start
An innovative before-school fun and fitness program set up at Prairiewood High School by Aboriginal teacher Jarred Hodges has been running for 10 years. It now attracts more than 200 students each morning. The fun and fitness program operates every Tuesday and Friday morning before school during Term Four. After an hour of games and […]
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Feeling rundown? Don’t be sore
It’s the start of Spring and if you’re lucky you’ve escaped the long winter without a bout of the flu. But if you’re one of the millions who weren’t so lucky this flu season, you could be forgiven for feeling tired and rundown in the weeks following your illness. It’s when we’re in this rundown […]
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Stop the rot
Gum disease affects most people at some time during their life. It is usually caused by a build-up of plaque on the teeth. Common types of gum disease include gingivitis and periodontitis. These diseases are serious infections that – if left untreated – can lead to tooth loss and other infections. The main cause of […]
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Eye health in sight
The OneSight Foundation and global eyewear company Luxottica in partnership with the Gidgee Healing Centre is addressing eye health in Indigenous communities, offering free eye screenings, eyewear and eye education in Mt Isa recently. The Mt Isa clinics are part of a new program called OneVision. Twenty seven volunteers, including eight optometrists were involved in […]
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Love Your Liver
It’s a good idea to think about one of the most important organs in your body, the liver, and how you can look after it so it can look after you. The liver can be found on the upper right side of the abdomen, just below your diaphragm. Did you know it is the largest […]
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No Bones About It
Bones play many roles in the body. They provide structure, protect organs, anchor muscles, and store calcium. Getting enough calcium and exercising builds strong bones, improves bone mass and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life. BONE DENSITY Bone density is a medical term referring to the amount of matter there is in […]
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A New Voice For Better Health
Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda has welcomed the formation of a new national voice for the health interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – the National Health Leadership Forum (NHLF). Described as a turning point towards better health for our mobs, the NHLF is part of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, […]
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Be Kind to Your Kidneys
Indigenous Australians are suffering from “the silent killer”: chronic kidney disease. We are also missing out on transplants and are more likely to be put on dialysis a new report says. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released the report on kidney disease in Indigenous people on 16 September. Chronic kidney disease is […]
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Stop bugging me
It’s horrid to think that tiny bugs can be feeding on the human body at any time of the night or day, burrowing into the skin and sucking our blood. But unfortunately, like most mammals, humans have parasites that feed on us as well. The most common of these little vampires include bed bugs, head […]
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Think before you ink
Tattooing has a long history – some put it at 5,000 years. Today it’s ‘in’ to have a tattoo, but the cliché ‘think before you ink’ applies in the modern world with an increased risk of Hepatitis C from tattoos from backyard operators and in prisons. If properly done by an experienced tattoo artist, in […]
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The growing dangers of designer drugs
An Australian study has found the use of the drug ecstasy, both in Australia and internationally, is on the decline. While this may seem like good news, the drop in use is believed to be attributed to a perceived weakening in the purity of the drug, causing many users to instead turn to other synthetic […]
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Gonorrhea the new superbug?
Gonorrhea is one of the world’s most common sexually transmitted infections, is easily caught and, in some cases, extremely difficult to detect or notice without a proper STI screening. Now, researchers in the United States have warned against the increasing resistance of gonorrhea to antibiotic treatments. In 2009, just on a quarter of all strains […]
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Closing the gap in life expectancy
The life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians can be mainly attributed to chronic diseases, a new report has found. But while some inroads have been made into the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the report says there is still a long way to go. The health and welfare […]
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