A key strategy in global efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance is to reduce the unnecessary use of antimicrobial medicines, yet achieving this in Australia has proved to be slow and difficult work.

Third and fourth degree perineal tears are an uncommon but potentially devastating complication of vaginal childbirth. While not all such tears can be prevented, many can.

Around half of planned caesarean births at less than 39 weeks’ gestation in Australia in 2017 occurred without a medical or obstetric reason, putting almost 19,000 children at increased risk of a range of health, learning and developmental issues.

Growing rates of antimicrobial resistance are a significant threat to many areas of medicine, from cancer treatment to childbirth. A recent drop in antibiotic dispensing in the community provides a glimmer of hope in continuing efforts to protect this precious medical resource.

Read the December 2021 issue of NSQHS Standards News.

Read the April 2022 issue of NSQHS Standards News.

Read the September 2022 issue of NSQHS Standards News.

Read the December 2022 issue of NSQHS Standards News.

Read the March 2023 issue of NSQHS Standards News.

Read the Autumn 2021 issue of Commission eNews.