Public Health Expert

Associate Professor Nick Wilson trained as a medical doctor and subsequently specialised as a public health physician. He has over 270 Medline-indexed publications in peer-reviewed journals. His research interests include: the health economics of primary prevention (BODE³ Programme), tobacco use epidemiology and control, infectious disease control (particularly pandemic influenza but also other infectious diseases) Climate change and air pollution. He blogs for Public health Researcher.
Featured image: Climate change and recent actions of NZ political parties

Climate change and recent actions of NZ political parties - Public Health Expert

Sep 15, 2017 •

Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Richard Edwards, Dr Cristina Cleghorn, Prof Michael Baker, Dr Caroline Shaw, A/Prof Ralph Chapman, Prof Philippa Howden-Chapman The health organisation OraTaiao convened a group of experts to analyse the climate change policies of NZ political party policies. It gave the highest grade to the Green Party, then the Labour Party, and then The Opportunities Party (TOP). This blog takes a supplementary approach, looking at actual climate related actions taken in the last Parliamentary term (since late 2014). It suggests that relative to its power in the Parliament, the Green Party has done the best. The National Party has an overall poor performance grading – given the many opportunities it has had in Government. Voters who are asking “What is best for NZ society and the planet in the long-term?” may wish to put weight on … Read More

Featured image: A Statue of Merit: Dr Margaret Cruickshank and the 1918 influenza pandemic

A Statue of Merit: Dr Margaret Cruickshank and the 1918 influenza pandemic - Public Health Expert

Sep 12, 2017 •

Nick Wilson, Ben Schrader, Geoff Rice, Christine Clement, George Thomson, Catharine Ferguson, Michael Baker Some statues are getting bad press at present – and rightly so for the Confederate military statues which represent the racist history of the Southern United States. But in this blog we briefly look at a particular New Zealand statue that we think characterises some of the best aspects of public monuments: the statue of Dr Margaret Cruickshank who died caring for patients during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Statues commemorating the racist Confederate leaders of the American Civil War are getting bad press at present in the USA and internationally. Some have been pulled down or officially removed following the uproar over the General Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville. The controversy has also started to involve some memorials to US doctors whose activities can … Read More

New US Surgeon General’s Report – Ideas for new tobacco health warnings on packs or are different messages required? - Public Health Expert

Jan 30, 2014 •

Associate Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Janet Hoek, Professor Tony Blakely The recently released US Surgeon General’s report gives “sufficient” evidence of causality for 13 additional health conditions (e.g., colorectal cancer, diabetes, and stroke from secondhand smoke). In this blog post … Continue reading →

Protecting children in cars from tobacco smoke: The inconsistent case of new mandatory child restraints while optional smoking persists - Public Health Expert

Nov 01, 2013 •

Dr Ninya Maubach Today sees new rules to ensure children are safely secured in cars come into force, yet many remain exposed to hazardous second hand tobacco smoke (SHS) in vehicles. This blog ask why regulators are prepared to introduce … Continue reading →