Hay fever is a common term referring to allergic rhinitis caused by seasonal exposure to pollen. Allergic rhinitis is a runny or blocked nose and/or sneezing and watery eyes, and is triggered by an allergic reaction. Allergic rhinitis can have many triggers and can occur seasonally or throughout the year. Allergic rhinitis is one of...

Drugs in Australia 2010 assembles the most recently available information about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs in Australia from a variety of data sources. It is a reference publication for those looking for accessible information about drug-related issues in Australia. The report presents information on the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol and other drug use in...

Stroke is a major cause of death and the highest cause of morbidity worldwide. In NZ, the elderly and Maori and Pacific Island ethnicities are most affected. With failure of many neuroprotectant agents, current clinical therapy is limited to the use of thrombolytics to treat ischaemic stroke. Inflammation-dependent neurodegeneration occurs over a prolonged period after...

Lung cancer in Australia: an overview provides comprehensive national statistics on lung cancer using a range of data sources, presenting the latest data and trends over time. Differences by geographical area, socioeconomic status, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, country of birth and international comparisons are also discussed. The incidence rate of lung cancer has...

Papua New Guinea is home to around 6.7 million people, with approximately 87 per cent living in rural areas. Five influential studies conducted over a 30 year period suggest a strong spatial component to disadvantage and show relatively little change in the poorest areas over time. Isolation, lack of income earning opportunities and geography appear...