Public Health Expert

Featured image: The Havelock North drinking water inquiry: A wake-up call to rebuild public health in New Zealand

The Havelock North drinking water inquiry: A wake-up call to rebuild public health in New Zealand

Public Health Expert • Dec 21, 2017

Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Alistair Woodward The huge campylobacteriosis outbreak in Havelock North in August 2016 caused by contaminated drinking water was a public health disaster. The second report of the Havelock North Drinking Water Inquiry describes a long list of failings that contributed to the outbreak. In this blog we argue that the failings are much … Read More

2

Featured image: Smokefree cars legislation: Should the new government make this a priority?

Smokefree cars legislation: Should the new government make this a priority?

Public Health Expert • Dec 12, 2017

George Thomson, Richard Edwards, Richard Jaine, Janet Hoek, Jude Ball, Nick Wilson This blog briefly reviews the case for the prioritisation by the new Government of a law for smokefree cars carrying children. This would demonstrate their commitment to children’s health and well-being, respond to public and smoker opinion, follow official and Parliamentary advice, and fit with the research evidence … Read More

Featured image: Patterns of declining smoking in NZ – But more action needed by the new government

Patterns of declining smoking in NZ – But more action needed by the new government

Public Health Expert • Nov 21, 2017

By Nick Wilson, Frederieke Sanne van der Deen, Richard Edwards, George Thomson, Anaru Waa, Tony Blakely Just published results from the NZ Health Survey indicate ongoing declines in smoking for Māori and for European New Zealanders. In this blog we comment on the possible reasons for these trends and describe recent work on how progress could be accelerated. The results … Read More

Featured image: Walking and cycling for transport is good for physical activity levels in Kiwis!

Walking and cycling for transport is good for physical activity levels in Kiwis!

Public Health Expert • Oct 31, 2017

By Dr Caroline Shaw, University of Otago.  Physical activity is good for health. Higher levels of physical activity are associated with reduced rates of breast and colon cancer, better mental health, lower obesity rates, lower heart disease, stroke (the list goes on). This blog looks at a new study we just published that found that New Zealanders who walk … Read More

1

Featured image: Home Modification to reduce falls – appears cost-effective in NZ

Home Modification to reduce falls – appears cost-effective in NZ

Public Health Expert • Oct 10, 2017

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Giorgi Kvizhinadze, Dr Nisha Nair, Prof Tony Blakely We have just published a modelling study on a home safety and modification programme to prevent falls in older people. This work suggests that this intervention could produce considerable health gain and be cost-effective at a health district level in New Zealand. But in this blog we discuss … Read More

Featured image: “Achieving Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025”: a response to critiques

“Achieving Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025”: a response to critiques

Public Health Expert • Oct 06, 2017

Prof Richard Edwards, Prof Tony Blakely, Prof Chris Cunningham, Frederieke Sanne van der Deen, Stephanie Erick, Zoe Hawke, Prof Janet Hoek, A/Prof George Thomson, Louise Thornley, Anaru Waa, Prof Nick Wilson The “Achieving Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025” Action Plan was launched at Parliament on 2 August. A previous blog described its key features and a rationale for the recommended … Read More

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 … 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 … Read More

1

Featured image: “Achieving Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025”: a new Action Plan to achieve our smokefree goal

“Achieving Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025”: a new Action Plan to achieve our smokefree goal

Public Health Expert • Sep 07, 2017

Richard Edwards, Tony Blakely, Chris Cunningham, Frederieke Sanne van der Deen, Zoe Hawke, Janet Hoek, Shayne Nahu, George Thomson, Louise Thornley, Anaru Waa, Nick Wilson A new Action Plan was launched by one of New Zealand’s great tobacco control champions – Dame Tariana Turia – at Parliament on August 2. This blog describes the Plan’s key features and the rationale … Read More

Featured image: Prevention versus treatment, voluntary versus mandatory, targeted versus untargeted – can we generalize?

Prevention versus treatment, voluntary versus mandatory, targeted versus untargeted – can we generalize?

Public Health Expert • Sep 05, 2017

Professor Tony Blakely, Dr Giorgi Kvizhinadze, Dr Linda Cobiac and Professor Nick Wilson. In this fourth blog that features the BODE3 Interactive League Table, we look at substantive findings across the interventions (so far) in the league table.  We use graphs from the league table to cautiously explore (for fear of over-generalizing) what approaches might typically generate the most … Read More