Australia is facing its largest whooping cough outbreak in more than three decades, with medical leaders sounding an urgent alarm: vaccination is the only reliable shield. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is not a new disease, but it is making a dramatic comeback. In 2024, more than 57,000 cases were reported across Australia the highest number since 1991. And the wave has not slowed. In South Australia, early 2025 data show over 1,000 infections — more than ten times higher than the same period last year.

The national disease surveillance dashboard reports nearly 19,000 cases already in 2025, with hotspots including Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia’s Kimberley region. Doctors say this is now Australia’s most significant and long-lasting pertussis outbreak in decades.

Pertussis is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It spreads easily through coughs and sneezes, thriving in close-contact settings such as households and schools. For most adults, it causes weeks of relentless coughing that disrupts sleep, work, and quality of life. But for infants — especially those too young to be vaccinated it can be life-threatening.

Newborns can develop severe respiratory distress, pneumonia, and even brain damage from prolonged oxygen deprivation during coughing fits. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that pertussis kills tens of thousands of children every year, most of them under six months old.

AMA’s Urgent Call

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has issued a clear warning: complacency is dangerous. AMA President Dr. Danielle McMullen described the outbreak as “extremely concerning,” citing both the sheer scale of cases and the drop in vaccination coverage.

“We can’t afford to be complacent,” Dr. McMullen said. “Each year, thousands of lives are lost to respiratory diseases like whooping cough — and we all have a role to play in preventing their spread. Vaccination remains our most powerful defence.”

Why Pregnancy Vaccination is Crucial?

One of the AMA’s strongest messages is directed at expectant mothers. A pertussis-containing vaccine is recommended during every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. This approach allows protective antibodies to pass from mother to baby through the placenta, shielding the newborn during the critical first weeks of life.

“Maternal vaccination creates antibodies which are passed to the unborn baby and protect them in their first days and weeks of life,” Dr. McMullen explained. “But it doesn’t stop there — ensuring family members and other caregivers are also vaccinated helps create a protective cocoon around infants.”

This cocooning strategy reduces the risk that parents, grandparents, siblings, or caregivers will transmit the infection to newborns who are too young to complete their first immunization schedule.

Vaccines Are Free and Accessible

In Australia, whooping cough vaccines are free for all pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program. Parents are also encouraged to keep their children’s vaccines up to date, particularly during the first six months, when infants are most vulnerable.

For adults, boosters are recommended every 10 years, especially for anyone living with or caring for babies. General practitioners and pharmacies can check vaccination records and provide catch-up doses when needed.

Falling Vaccination Rates and Rising Cases

Part of what makes this outbreak alarming is its timing. Australia has not met its childhood vaccination targets in several regions, and vaccine hesitancy has crept upward in recent years. This leaves pockets of communities vulnerable, creating fertile ground for pertussis to spread.

The AMA warns that failing to address this could undo decades of progress in reducing serious childhood diseases. “Getting vaccinated is one of the simplest and most effective ways you can protect your loved ones and your community,” Dr. McMullen said.

Learning From History

Australia has seen waves of whooping cough before. The last major epidemic peaked in 2011 with over 38,000 cases. But today’s surge is different in scale, surpassing even that crisis and persisting longer. Globally, other countries have also seen cyclical rises in pertussis, underscoring that this is not just an Australian problem.

The key difference between a contained outbreak and a devastating one is vaccination coverage. Experts point to herd immunity thresholds: when enough people are vaccinated, the chain of transmission breaks, protecting those who cannot be immunized.

Though the latest figures come from Australia, health experts stress that this is a global concern. Travel and migration mean outbreaks do not remain confined to national borders. Declining vaccination rates in parts of the United States and Europe could set the stage for similar resurgences.

For families worldwide, the lessons are clear: stay up to date on vaccinations, encourage maternal immunization, and understand that diseases once considered “childhood illnesses of the past” can and do return if immunity gaps open.

Australia’s pertussis outbreak is a wake-up call for all of us. With more than 57,000 cases in a single year and rates still climbing, whooping cough has proven it can resurge when vaccination rates slip.

The AMA’s message is urgent but simple: act now. Pregnant women, parents, and caregivers should prioritize immunization to protect both themselves and those too young to be vaccinated. Free vaccines are available, and the science is clear immunization saves lives. As Dr. McMullen put it, “We must not lose sight of the fact that immunisation saves lives.”

One of the biggest stars of Hollywood, Bruce Willis, who played roles in iconic movies like Die Hard and The Sixth Sense, has been going through dementia. Diagnosed in the year 2022 with aphasia, a condition that affects your speech, a year later he was diagnosed with the real cause for this loss, which is frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

This type of dementia gradually affects your speech, behavior and cognition. His wife, Emma Hemmings, has been sharing updates about his health and his declining dementia, with his fans and well-wishers. She has also been a strong advocate for FTD awareness as well as caregivers’ care, something that is overlooked a lot.

Also Read: The Next Ozempic? New 4-in-1 Weight Loss Drug Could Treat Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer And Heart Diseases

However, things have not been as well and good as we hoped. Recently, news of Emma having to move the Die-Hard legend to a different home for better dementia care. This news was not well-taken by a lot of people, she says she has been unfairly judged for how she cares for her husband. In a recent Instagram post, she responded to criticism she received after a joint ABC special with her husband, "Emma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey."

Bruce Willis Dementia Care Home Update

In the special, Emma revealed that the family made the difficult decision to move Bruce into a separate one-story house. He lives there with a full-time care team, while Emma and their two young daughters, Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11, live in the family's primary residence.

Emma brings the girls to visit Bruce "a lot" for meals and other visits. She explained that the arrangement was made for the girls' benefit. "Bruce would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs," she said.

Why Is Emma Hemmings Facing Backlash?

After the special aired, Emma received criticism from viewers about her choices. On Instagram, she expressed frustration with those who judge caregivers without understanding their situation. "Too often, caregivers are judged quickly and unfairly by those who haven’t lived this journey or stood on the front lines of it," she wrote.

She added that while sharing her story invites opinions, it also creates a connection with other caregivers who understand the challenges of looking after a loved one with dementia. Bruce's daughter, Tallulah Willis, whom he shares with ex-wife Demi Moore, commented on the post, praising Emma and thanking her for all she does for the family.

In her post, Emma also read a passage from her upcoming memoir, The Unexpected Journey, which details the advice she once received from a therapist. The advice highlighted the difference between having an opinion and having an experience, noting that those without the experience "don't get a say, and they definitely don't get a vote."

How Has Dementia Affected Bruce Willis?

Bruce Willis withdrew from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects language and communication. In 2023, his family shared that his condition had progressed to FTD, a form of dementia that impacts language and personality but doesn't initially cause memory loss.

Despite the challenges, Emma shared that Bruce "is still very mobile" and in "really great health overall." She emphasized that while his brain is failing him, "he is still very much here." The entire family, including his ex-wife Demi Moore and their three older daughters, has rallied together to support him.

What if a single shot could help you lose weight, lower your risk of diabetes, protect your heart, and even cut your chances of developing certain cancers? That’s the promise scientists at Tufts University are chasing with a new experimental drug. Unlike Ozempic or Wegovy, which rely on one or two hormones, this compound combines four. Early research suggests it could deliver weight loss on par with bariatric surgery—without going under the knife and change how we think about treating obesity and the diseases tied to it.

Despite the popularity of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, these drugs come with side effects—nausea, bone loss, and weight regain—that limit their long-term potential. Now, researchers at Tufts University believe they may have found a more powerful alternative: a single drug that combines four hormones to tackle obesity and, in turn, the cascade of diseases it fuels, including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Obesity is not just about excess weight. It is linked to more than 180 conditions ranging from type 2 diabetes and heart disease to certain cancers and liver disorders. According to the World Health Organization, over 650 million adults worldwide live with obesity. In the United States, more than 40% of adults are affected. Treating obesity effectively could ripple across public health, reducing risks of chronic illness and cutting healthcare costs.

That’s what makes the Tufts team’s work so promising. Their “quadruple-action” drug design aims not only to deliver substantial weight loss—up to 30%, on par with bariatric surgery—but also to change how obesity-related conditions are treated at scale.

How Current Weight Loss Drugs Work?

The first wave of modern weight loss drugs works by mimicking hormones released in the gut after a meal. The most prominent of these, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), triggers insulin release, lowers blood sugar, and sends signals to the brain that suppress appetite. Ozempic, which is based on GLP-1, has been so effective that the American Diabetes Association now recommends it as a first-line injectable treatment for diabetes.

But GLP-1 drugs have drawbacks. Patients must inject them weekly. Nearly 40% stop after the first month due to intense nausea. Long-term use is associated with bone and muscle loss, and discontinuation often leads to weight regain.

To improve results, drug developers have experimented with combining hormones. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) pairs GLP-1 with GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide), which also promotes satiety but reduces nausea. Retatrutide, still in clinical trials, adds glucagon, which boosts calorie burning and suppresses appetite, offset by the glucose-lowering effects of GLP-1 and GIP. This three-hormone chimera has shown weight loss up to 24%—a significant leap from Ozempic’s 6–15%.

What Makes the New 4-in-1 Drug Different?

The Tufts team, led by chemistry professor Krishna Kumar, decided three wasn’t enough. They added peptide YY (PYY), another gut hormone that reduces appetite and slows digestion, but through different pathways than GLP-1 and GIP. PYY may even play a role in fat burning.

Blending PYY with the other three hormones wasn’t simple—it belongs to a completely different structural class. The researchers fused peptide segments end-to-end, creating a new “tetra-functional” compound that engages four distinct receptors at once. The hope is that this design will deliver more consistent results across diverse patients, many of whom respond differently to existing therapies due to genetic or biological variation.

Bariatric surgery remains the most effective intervention for severe obesity, with patients often losing 30% or more of their body weight and keeping it off long term. But surgery is invasive, expensive, and not accessible to everyone. Current drugs fall short of this benchmark. If the new 4-in-1 therapy delivers weight loss on par with surgery, it could transform obesity treatment by offering comparable results without the risks of an operating table.

Graduate researcher Tristan Dinsmore, a co-author on the Tufts study, explained: “We wanted to bring in PYY to complete the weight control quartet. By hitting four receptors at once, we’re aiming for a more balanced, durable effect.”

Tackles Obesity Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Disease

Obesity rarely comes alone. It drives insulin resistance, raising the risk of type 2 diabetes. It fuels inflammation, which is linked to cancer progression. It strains the heart, worsening conditions like heart failure.

At the recent European Society of Cardiology conference in Madrid, large-scale studies revealed that GLP-1-based drugs reduce the risk of hospitalization or premature death among heart patients by as much as 58%. A study published in JAMA further showed that semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) lowered the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death by 20%, regardless of weight loss achieved.

These drugs are not just cosmetic. They could become a frontline defense against chronic, life-threatening diseases. By adding PYY into the mix, the Tufts candidate drug could amplify these benefits.

Does It Have Any Side Effects?

Side effects remain a stumbling block. For many patients, nausea is so severe that they abandon treatment early. Tufts researchers hope their four-hormone combination will not only boost effectiveness but also improve tolerability. Tirzepatide already demonstrated that blending GLP-1 with GIP reduces nausea; PYY may offer additional relief while protecting muscle and bone mass.

Another challenge is weight regain after stopping treatment. Studies show that weight lost with GLP-1 drugs often creeps back once injections stop. By acting on more pathways simultaneously, the new compound could make weight loss more sustainable, narrowing the gap between drug therapy and surgical intervention.

When Will This New Weight Loss Drug Be Available?

The Tufts research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is still in preclinical stages. Clinical trials will be the real test, both for safety and for proving whether the quadruple-action therapy can deliver surgery-level weight loss.

If successful, the drug could be a paradigm shift. More than 15 million American adults roughly 4.5% of the population are already using weight loss medications like Ozempic or Wegovy.

Krishna Kumar and his team emphasize that this isn’t just about shedding pounds. “Obesity is linked to over 180 conditions, from diabetes to cancer,” Kumar noted. “What drives us is the idea that we can design a single drug to treat obesity and simultaneously mitigate the risk of developing a long list of health problems plaguing society.”

Mental health has become one of the most urgent public health issues of the 21st century. Recent statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that more than one billion individuals globally live with mental illnesses. Anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders not only cause immense human distress but also carry a massive economic burden, both on individuals and societies as a whole. Where progress has been made in a number of countries to enhance mental health policies and programs, global services remain dramatically underfunded and fragmented, denying access to care for millions.

Mental illnesses are ubiquitous, cutting across all age, gender, and economic strata groups. Anxiety and depression are among the most prevalent disorders, and their effects extend far beyond emotional pain. They are the second global cause of long-term disability, costing money in healthcare, decreasing productivity in the workforce, and lowering quality of life. The fiscal hit is astronomical: depression and anxiety alone have been estimated to cost the international economy $1 trillion each year.

The WHO's recent publications, World Mental Health Today and Mental Health Atlas 2024—set both positive trends and important gaps in mental health services. They are powerful resources to inform national plans and influence the international conversation leading up to the 2025 United Nations High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases, with a focus on mental health and well-being.

Rising Mental Health Concerns Among Young People

Younger populations face particularly intense mental health issues. Gen Z, in particular, is under unprecedented stress from social media, school pressures, and the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2023 Harvard survey identified that 44% of young adults between ages 18–25 felt like they don't count to others. Further, CDC data indicate that 40% of U.S. high school students indicated they felt sad or hopeless most or all days, and 20% attempted seriously to take their own life. These figures highlight the imperative for accessible and effective mental health care among young people.

Social disruption during the pandemic, from remote learning issues to extended isolation, intensified loneliness and anxiety. Even after lockdowns lifted, many young people still face uncertainty about their futures, academic stress, and the mental health impacts of disrupted childhood or adolescence.

WHO Mental Health Report: One in Every 100 Deaths Worldwide is Caused by Suicide

Suicide continues to be a tragic consequence of mental illness. In 2021 alone, it is estimated that 727,000 individuals across the globe died by suicide, which is a major cause of death among youth. WHO experts point out that although age-specific rates for suicide have fallen worldwide by 35% from 2000 to 2021, efforts are too slow to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to cut suicide rates by a third by 2030. The trend indicates only 12% reduction will be realized.

Alarming as it is, almost three-quarters of all suicides are in low- and middle-income countries, where there are limited mental health resources and stigma discourages individuals from going for help. Even in wealthier countries, timely and effective care is not always accessible.

Investment Gap in Mental Health Services

Investment in mental health services globally is not increasing commensurate with growing demand. Median government expenditure on mental health averages only 2% of overall health expenditures—unchanged since 2017. Inequities between nations are glaring: high-income countries can spend as much as $65 per capita on mental health, and low-income nations can spend as little as $0.04. Median numbers of mental health professionals globally stand at only 13 per 100,000 people, and have made low- and middle-income nations critically short.

Access to treatment is most problematic in rural and underserved populations. In the United States, 65% of rural counties have no practicing psychiatrist, and nearly a third have no mental health professionals. Suburban residents, while otherwise better supplied, also experience affordability hurdles, insurance gaps, and cultural stigma, reducing meaningful access to care.

Progress and Persistent Gaps

There has been some progress. In the past two years, most countries have revised their mental health policies, improved emergency preparedness, and incorporated rights-based practices. More than 80% of nations now offer mental health services in emergencies, compared to 39% in 2020. Mental health integrated into primary care is making headway, and telehealth services are increasingly available.

Yet, these developments are insufficient to meet the global burden. Fewer than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based care models, and inpatient care continues to rely heavily on psychiatric hospitals. Many patients experience long-term hospitalization, often involuntarily, highlighting the urgent need for systemic reform.

Why Addressing the Root Causes Is Important?

Mental health is a function of the complex interplay of social, environmental, and biological elements. Social media use, cyberbullying, and the pressure to maintain a "perfect" life on social media can contribute to exacerbating depression and anxiety. Economic insecurity, discrimination, trauma, and the residual effect of global crises such as the pandemic further add to the burden. Resolution of these foundational issues demands intersectoral collaboration—healthcare, education, social services, and policy.

Simple Tips for Improving Your Mental Health Everyday

Although reform on a wide scale is called for, people can also take actions to augment their mental health:

Stay Connected: Regular contact with others reduces loneliness.

Prioritize Physical Health: Exercise, healthy nutrition, and sleep contribute heavily to mood and cognitive performance.

Limit Digital Overload: Cut back on social media time, especially doomscrolling or comparing yourself to idealized models.

Practice Mindfulness: Meditation, journaling, or breathing exercises can reduce stress and enhance emotional resilience.

Get Professional Assistance: Therapy, counseling, or support groups provide direction and management techniques.

Foster Open Discussions: Open discussion of feelings within families, schools, or the workplace decreases stigma and promotes early intervention.

Crisis Hotlines: Familiarize yourself with local or national hotlines. For example, Kosovo provides Lifeline at 0800 12345 between the hours of 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM every day for crisis intervention.

The WHO underlines that mental health services should be addressed as a human right. Radical change to mental health services requires fair financing, legal changes to ensure human rights, and continued investment in the development of the workforce. Community-based, person-focused care models are essential to increase access and enhance outcomes. Multilevel collaboration between governments, NGOs, and international health agencies is required to address the breadth and depth of the crisis.

The current statistics present a grim picture: mental illness disorders are growing more quickly than world population growth, suicide is a leading cause of death among young people, and treatment access is starkly uneven. Unless drastic action is taken, the economic, social, and human toll will keep piling up.

Mental illness is not only a matter of health; it is a societal and economic problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Over one billion individuals are impacted globally, and younger generations disproportionately so. Progress has been made in policy, integration, and emergency response, yet never before has systemic reform and investment been as urgent a need. There is a role for every government, community, and individual in opening up access, decreasing stigma, and placing mental health as a top global public health priority.