Health Report - Full program podcast

What's the best way to manage finite resources in the middle of a pandemic and what can Australia learn from other countries; what a review of COVID research exposes about waste and missed opportunities; low value care has little or any benefit and a new study finds patients agree; and what does research tell us about preventing alcohol and drug misuse in kids?

What does modelling tell us about what it will take to bring the NSW COVID cluster under control; scientists try to settle the debate about the origins of Covid-19; how can people with blood cancers stay safe in the pandemic; and can exercise help counter the toll poor sleeps takes on our health?

While NSW is still trying to contain COVID cases, the Prime Minister last week outlined a four stage pathway out of the pandemic. Singapore is already underway with its plan that uses a layered public health response including high vaccinations rates. Is this the path out of the pandemic? Just how dangerous is even small amounts of alcohol in pregnancy? Research shows it can set children up for unusual behaviours with alcohol while still very young. What help is out there for women with substance use disorders and their babies, and why are some falling through the cracks? And could a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet be linked to a healthier life? Well, it depends on what kind of carbs you're talking about.

Around the country, the threat of COVID has emerged again. What does the modelling show about where this is heading? The World Health Organisation finds it's the biggest workplace hazard - long working hours. And it says long hours can be deadly. UK research finds type 2 diabetes might be reversible without drugs for some people, as well as the other conditions that often come with it. Also on diabetes, could a new class of drug slash the number of people who go on to need dialysis or kidney transplants?

This week, the first of a new series on substance use and what you need to know about ICE - crystal meth. Does early diagnosis of ovarian cancer through screening make a difference to survival rates? And the search for an Alzheimer's disease treatment is as controversial as ever. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug for Alzheimer's disease in nearly two decades, but not everyone is welcoming the decision.