Posts by Team VIVA!

As school returns today, NSW doctors are reminding parents to fully immunise their children. National Health Performance Authority statistics reveal south-western Sydney has the nation’s second highest number of children aged five and under not fully immunised, although the region meets the NSW target of 92 per cent immunised. Western Sydney has the highest number…

Did you know an estimated nine per cent of Australians are living with an eating disorder? Eating disorders represent the third most common, chronic illness affecting our nation. According to Australia’s National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC), women are more prone to developing an eating disorder than men, with estimates revealing less than a quarter of…

The Aussie summer can be a scorcher, making it tough to stay indoors when the sun is shining brightly. There’s nothing like going for a dip in the ocean or a backyard pool, or simply heading outdoors to soak up some rays. However sun protection is critical when heading outdoors, given Australia has the world’s…

At the dawn of 2015, we thought it important to reflect on the major health issues that defined 2014. A year characterised by the life-threatening disease, Ebola in West Africa; suicide and pain associated with mental illness; an ongoing hike in deaths from cancer and recreational drug abuse; claims that medicinal marijuana could save lives;…

Scientists have discovered a ‘potential game-changer’ in the war against drug resistant superbugs – a new class of antibiotic that is resistant to resistance. The antimicrobial compound, Teixobactin, which was discovered using a ‘revolutionary’ procedure, has properties that suggest a new path towards developing antibiotics likely to avoid development of resistance. This ground-breaking discovery has…