Top 10 global health stories of 2025

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COVID-19 may have faded from the headlines, but there has still been plenty to occupy the thoughts of doctors and other health professionals around the world this year.

 

Fresh challenges have risen, most notably perhaps from the change in administration in the United States where anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jnr is testing the communications strategies of health officials around the world in an unprecedented way.

 

Then there are the familiar issues unlikely to disappear any time soon, such as antimicrobial resistance, that are likely to need the dedication of future generations of health professionals to manage.

 

And with health known for its extraordinary innovation, 2025 has been no exception with the rise of new treatments changing the lives of millions of people worldwide.

 

In no particular order, here are 10 of the biggest health stories this year, and how they are affecting Australian GPs.

 

AI in the health system

Three years on from the launch of ChatGPT, the moment that artificial intelligence (AI) became a mainstream topic of conversation, it continues to have a profound impact on health.

 

This includes in Australian general practice, where the number of GPs using AI Scribes to assist in consultations has soared, with many reporting a decrease in administrative burden, while other tools are emerging that could help GPs with diagnoses, including for the scourge of skin cancer.

 

RACGP Expert Committee – Practice and Technology Management Chair Dr Rob Hosking predicts the rapid uptake of AI scribes will continue, but that as AI continues to evolve, there will be both pros and cons for doctors and health regulators worldwide to manage. 

 

Health misinformation

A decade ago, few public health officials would have imagined that one of the biggest sources of health misinformation would come directly from the US administration.

 

However, that was the scenario that unfolded in September this year with President Donald Trump linking paracetamol in pregnancy to an increased risk of autism – claims that were rapidly challenged by health authorities in Australia and elsewhere.

 

In somewhat heartening news for the health literacy of Australians, more than three-quarters of newsGP readers said patients had not raised a single concern about the issue.

 

However, this is one that is unlikely to go away soon, as the recent statement issued by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to counter doubts raised by Robert F Kennedy Jnr about the hepatitis B vaccine shows.

 

The rise and rise of GLP-1s

The consumption of weight loss drugs is at an all-time high, with a new pill format likely to be available soon alongside injectable forms.

 

A decision from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is imminent on whether the drugs should be available to treat obesity on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in Australia.

 

Whatever the recommendation, discussion around equity of access is set to continue for the foreseeable future, particularly with the recent endorsement of the medications for treating obesity by the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

So too will scrutiny of their longer-term impacts, particularly given the recent warning issued by the Therapeutic Goods Administration linking the medications to rare but serious side effects.

 

Australia’s social media ban

While this is, for now, an Australia-only policy, the new ban on under-16s having social media accounts has captured global headlines.

 

It is a move that appears to be widely backed by GPs: a newsGP poll last year showed 89% of readers supported age restrictions on social media accounts to mitigate mental health impacts on children.

 

RACGP Specific Interests Child and Young Person’s Health Chair Dr Tim Jones said the new laws give the chance for families and GPs to discuss social media use, but he also warns the legislation is ‘no silver bullet’ for shielding children from harm.

 

With the new laws only coming into effect in December, their impact on the mental health of Australian children will not be fully understood for a while. One thing is certain, however: the world is watching closely.

 

Climate change in health

It was the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement this year, but no climate action indicators are on track – with many warning that tipping points have already been passed.

 

What does this mean for our health?

 

GPs in Australia have warned worsening climate change is fuelling a mental health crisis, with GP and Doctors for the Environment Australia executive director Dr Kate Wylie calling for better training and support for general practices to address the ‘immense mental health burden’ of climate change.

 

‘If we’re not resourced to treat that, if we’re not trained adequately to treat that, then that’s going to have detrimental outcomes for our patients,’ she told newsGP.

 

‘And of course, that’s our primary concern as GPs.’

 

Meanwhile, new research in The Lancet suggests the annual mortality in Australia attributable to heat increased 44% between 1990–99 and 2012–21, reaching an average of almost 1000 deaths each year by the end of the study.

 

Antimicrobial resistance

This is an issue that is only likely to get more pressing – and it has already been linked to millions of deaths worldwide.

 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has increased in more than 40% of monitored antibiotics, the WHO’s Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 revealed.

 

‘As countries strengthen their AMR surveillance systems, we must use antibiotics responsibly, and make sure everyone has access to the right medicines, quality-assured diagnostics, and vaccines,’ said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Meanwhile RACGP President Dr Michael Wright added his own warning, saying ‘we have to be careful about what we prescribe and who prescribes it’.

 

‘It’s another reason why we are concerned about proposals to rapidly expand pharmacist prescribing options,’ he told newsGP.

 

‘Antimicrobial resistance is growing and growing, and it’s a step in the wrong direction to be expanding the number of prescribers.’

 

New endometriosis test

This year, hopes have grown that a new non-invasive and cost-effective blood test could soon be widely available to help endometriosis diagnosis.

 

Research published in the international journal Human Reproduction reported ‘strong predictive accuracy’ for one such test, adding another reason for optimism for the treatment of a condition that has historically been underrecognised and underdiagnosed.

 

There has also been significant recent investment in Australia, where the condition is believed to affect one in seven women.

 

An Australian-first study also set out the case for improving support for GPs, with research from Monash University’s SPHERE Centre of Research Excellence showing that the number of women diagnosed with endometriosis at a general practice almost doubled over a 10-year period.

 

Measles resurgence

Concerns have grown this year that measles, a disease declared eliminated from many countries, including Australia, could be making a comeback. Outbreaks in the US have fuelled those worries, with a decline in vaccination rates adding to anxieties.

 

While there have been deaths in the US, there have been none so far in Australia, where cases have been traced back to returned travellers, and outbreaks contained.

 

However, it has presented challenges for a new generation of GPs, many of whom may never have seen a case of measles previously.

 

It has also renewed the spotlight on declining vaccination rates, with the US’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that among all confirmed cases, 92% of patients were unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.

 

The rise of PFAS

Many patients are growing increasingly worried about the impacts of exposure to environmental hazards – with polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) perhaps the most high-profile example.

 

These are now a global concern due to their longevity in the environment and the human body.

 

The issue was brought into sharp focus in Australia this year, following reports that three types of PFAS are detectable in more than 85% of Australians aged over 12.

 

As with so many health issues, GPs are on the frontline and are likely to play an increasing role addressing concerns from patients, as well as providing care and health monitoring.

 

Social prescribing

Awareness of the benefits of social prescribing has been growing – with the RACGP hoping the movement, which is recognised by the WHO, will continue to expand.

 

This year, Dr Kuljit Singh, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Social Prescribing, said a national social prescribing scheme could help ease pressure on the entire healthcare system by keeping more patients healthy in their communities.

 

‘As a GP, I’ve seen many older patients experiencing social isolation and the impact that this has on their health and sense of wellbeing,’ she said.

 

‘So, I encourage health providers, including GPs, to add social prescribing to their toolkit if they haven’t already.’

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