Episodes

  • A spike in drug overdose deaths sparks calls for more action

    A spike in drug overdose deaths sparks calls for more action
    Jun 20 2026
    Australia is losing one person to a drug overdose every three and a half hours. New figures from the Penington Institute show more than 2,500 Australians died from drug-induced causes in a single year, the deadliest year on record. CEO John Ryan says the toll is now almost double the national road toll, and frontline workers warn the illicit drug market is becoming more unpredictable, with addiction affecting people from all walks of life.
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    5 mins
  • 'The need is constant': Red Cross calls for more blood donors

    'The need is constant': Red Cross calls for more blood donors
    Jun 13 2026
    For families relying on transfusions, donated blood can mean the difference between life and death. For others, the decision to donate is shaped by culture, experience and how well they understand the system. Lifeblood is urging more Australians to donate blood, warning the need is constant and cannot be met without regular donors. But as Australia's population becomes more diverse, experts say the country's blood supply also needs to reflect that change, with some patients needing blood that is more closely matched to their background.
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    5 mins
  • SBS Speaks to Dr Marianne Jauncey about NSW's only medically supervised injecting centre

    SBS Speaks to Dr Marianne Jauncey about NSW's only medically supervised injecting centre
    May 30 2026
    New South Wales’ only medically supervised injecting centre is calling for urgent legal reform to allow more sites to open across the state. It has been 25 years since the centre opened in Sydney’s Kings Cross, becoming the first supervised injecting facility in the Southern Hemisphere. Staff have since supervised more than 1.3 million injections, managed more than 12-thousand overdoses without a single death, and made more than 25-thousand referrals for treatment and care. For more, SBS spoke with the centre's Medical Director Dr Marianne Jauncey.

    New South Wales’ only medically supervised injecting centre is calling for urgent legal reform to allow more sites to open across the state.


    It has been 25 years since the centre opened in Sydney’s Kings Cross, becoming the first supervised injecting facility in the Southern Hemisphere.

    Staff have since supervised more than 1.3 million injections, managed more than 12-thousand overdoses without a single death, and made more than 25-thousand referrals for treatment and care.

    For more, SBS spoke with the centre's Medical Director Dr Marianne Jauncey.
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    15 mins
  • Ebola numbers continue to rise

    Ebola numbers continue to rise
    May 26 2026
    Cases of Ebola continue to rise in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the number of suspected cases approaching 1,000, and suspected deaths at more than 200. Aid groups are warning they need more funding to tackle the disease, and health workers and volunteers are working to educate people and quash misinformation.
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    5 mins
  • INTERVIEW: May is Lupus Awareness Month. SBS has spoken to mental health advocate Jenny Lai about her journey

    INTERVIEW: May is Lupus Awareness Month. SBS has spoken to mental health advocate Jenny Lai about her journey
    May 23 2026
    Every May, Lupus Awareness Month is recognised around the world, to highlight the chronic autoimmune disease which is still widely misunderstood. Lupus affects over five million people globally, and many of those affected are women. Jenny Lai is a mental health advocate whose Lupus diagnosis was a catalyst in her mental health journey. She has spoken to SBS' Alyssa Chandler.
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    10 mins
  • People with MS concerned about losing access to NDIS as survey reveals some already don't qualify for scheme

    People with MS concerned about losing access to NDIS as survey reveals some already don't qualify for scheme
    May 23 2026
    There are fears as the government seeks to achieve its budget savings with cutbacks to NDIS access, those who need support won't receive it. A new survey has found not all those with multiple sclerosis have access to the scheme - and for those who do, they face constant misunderstandings about their condition.
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    4 mins
  • INTERVIEW: SBS talks to Doctors Without Borders about the Ebola outbreak in the DRC

    INTERVIEW: SBS talks to Doctors Without Borders about the Ebola outbreak in the DRC
    May 22 2026
    The World Health Organisation has sent a team of experts and supplies to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help combat the spread of Ebola. On Sunday, it declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern because of the high risk the disease could spread further beyond DR Congo's borders after two cases were confirmed in Kampala, the capital of neighbouring Uganda. Among the agencies assisting in the efforts is Medicins San Frontiers, also known as Doctors Without Borders. Simon Eccleshall is the Head of Programs for MSF in Australia, and he spoke with SBS World News reporter Alexandra Jones about the group's response.
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    9 mins
  • Ebola case confirmed in rebel-held area of DR Congo

    Ebola case confirmed in rebel-held area of DR Congo
    May 22 2026
    Health workers are racing to contain the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. The World Health Organisation says the Ebola outbreak spreading through the eastern D-R-C into neighbouring Uganda could be far larger than officially reported. In cities like Goma and Bunia, families are still trying to continue daily life amid growing fears the outbreak is spreading beyond control.
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    4 mins