Past Programs
Health - 2005
Kelvin Kong
24/12/2005
In 2001 there were around 48,000 registered doctors in Australia. Only 90 of them were Indigenous Australians. The figures point to a real shortage of Indigenous doctors in this country.
Angels of Aceh
03/12/2005
The Australian surgical team was one of the first foreign groups into Aceh after the terrible tsunami nearly a year ago. Angels of Aceh describes what they saw and the work they did, operating and saving lives.
Can the UN Work?
22/10/2005
This Monday, it's the United Nations' 60th birthday and what a fascinating six decades it has been.
The eradication of smallpox, the liberation of Kuwait, the disasters of Rwanda and Somalia ... it's a history beset with controversy.
The UN's critics say the organisation is becoming increasingly irrelevant in this globalised world. But how fair is this criticism and what does the future hold for the UN?
Healing Gardens
15/10/2005
If you've ever spent time in hospital, or you've even been sick and restricted to your bed at home for some time, you've probably experienced an acute feeling of disconnection from the outside world. Generally if you get the chance to at least look out onto some vegetation and see the day unfold, it makes you feel a bit better.
Well this important healing connection that humans have with nature has been the subject of research by scientists over the last 30 years, and today some architects and landscape designers of hospitals are taking up their ideas in their designs.
Ian Forbes is an architect with Woodhead International and has just finished work on one of the largest healing gardens in Australia, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Woodville, west of Adelaide.
Contraception Politics in the US
08/10/2005
The second term of the Bush government is settling in now, and although President Bush's popularity is at an all time low, his administration has been in power long enough to start to make real long term difference in American society. President Bush is just about to appoint a second conservative judge to the US Supreme Court, leading some people to fear that abortion rights, and the historic Roe V Wade decision may be under threat.
Kelvin Kong
08/10/2005
In 2001 there were around 48,000 registered doctors in Australia. Only 90 = of them were Indigenous Australians. The figures point to a real shortage of Indigenous doctors in this country.
Silver Ring Thing
17/09/2005
Can the church adequately teach young people about sex?
That's the big question in the US at the moment after a religious abstinence program called The Silver Ring Thing had its funding suspended by the US administration.
The group has been accused of misusing federal money to promote the Christian religion rather than a secular message of abstinence.
The American Civil Liberties Union claim that it's a blatant breach of the US constitution that demands the separation of church and state.
Everyday Health - Organic Food
09/07/2005
Rosemary Stanton on the health benefits of organic food, and whether it's worth the extra price.
Everyday Health - Allergies
25/06/2005
Food allergies are becoming more common and Rosemary Stanton wonders if it is something about the way we live now that makes us more susceptible. Houses that are too clean and lack of contact with animals could be risk factors, because we are not exposed to a wide enough range of bacteria.
Everyday Health - Milk
18/06/2005
Drinking milk is a good way for children to build healthy bones, but it's not the complete answer. Exercise and sunlight are also important. It's also easy to drink too much milk, especially the full-fat variety, which can lead to obesity.
Everyday Health - Eating for your teeth
11/06/2005
Flouride in the water has improved the health of children's teeth dramatically, but the incidence of tooth decay is rising. Rosemary Stanton looks at some of the food we eat for the reasons why.
Everyday Health - Probiotics
12/03/2005
Pro-biotics are a kind of good bacteria - found naturally in yoghurt, and some other foods. People take them as supplements so that they will improve the working of the bowel. They help speed recovery from some types of diarrhaea, but it's not clear if they have any other benefits.
Everyday Health - Water
05/03/2005
The bottle of brand-name drinking water is almost a fashion accessory now, but according the nutritionist Rosemary Stanton, that is all it is. Unless you are doing very heavy work or exercise in the sun, you don't need to be drinking water constantly, she says.
