599 Results

  • Improving NZ Government communication about COVID-19: Five suggestions

    … consider five areas in which potential improvements could be made. Potentially the most important of these would be to further depoliticise the COVID-19 response. Overall, … of the Prime Minister, combined with an ability to be a strong leader by “enacting tough policies such as …
    Briefing

  • Protecting children and young people from unethical junk food marketing: Upgrading the advertising codes

    … ways that the Children’s Code for Advertising Food could be substantially improved to protect children and young … opportunity for the food industry to show they do want to be part of the solution to reduce New Zealand’s unacceptably … and its potential harmful impacts (4, 5), it may arguably be regarded as a form of exploitation (6). Under the UN …
    Briefing

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

    … ”. An accompanying progress report found the goal will not be achieved if current trends continue, and will be missed by a wide margin for Māori and Pacific peoples, … systems, such as nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, would be more effective. Another claim is that the measures could …
    Briefing

  • In May 2022 the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 expires: what then?

    … 13 May 2022. A further time-limited legal framework will be needed to support Covid policy. A new Bill will require … after its enactment, that is, 13 May 2022. The Act cannot be extended, and clearly it was hoped in May 2020 that we might by 2022 be back to pre-Covid ‘normal’. Progress has of course been …
    Briefing

  • Five Strategic Approaches to Achieving the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Goal

    … The new NZ Government is to be congratulated for working on an Action Plan towards … to mapping out how the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal will be achieved; taking stock to identify strategies with the … major structural interventions, one or both of which must be implemented in order to reach a Smokefree Aotearoa. We …
    Briefing

  • Tax reform pros & cons: A brief look from a Public Health perspective

    … for the public health system, then certain tax reforms may be favoured more than others. In this blog we take a brief … really are, the extent to which the system should be redistributive (i.e., with the wealthiest people who can … and growing calls internationally for additional taxes to be used to address health problems. Similarly for using taxes …
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  • Potential health co-benefits from eradicating rats, stoats and possums in NZ towns and cities

    … the city level eg, Wellington. The primary benefits will be to native birds and enhanced biodiversity, as well as for … other suburbs. Although complete eradication of rats might be difficult in NZ cities, on-going control at ports and … economic benefits from pest eradication are likely to be very large for NZ – especially if bovine tuberculosis can …
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  • More wastewater testing could guide optimal Covid-19 control on the path back to elimination

    … effective in determining if a population is very likely to be Covid-19 free, when compared to typical levels of … are actually present. On 26 August, ESR was reported to be testing wastewater for the pandemic virus (SARS-CoV-2) at … are infectious before developing symptoms, there can be delays getting tested, and also delays with the testing …
    Briefing

  • Using Rapid Antigen Tests to improve COVID-19 control in Aotearoa NZ

    … describe RATs, their performance, and how they could be used to further improve Aotearoa NZ’s COVID-19 response . … isothermal amplification (LAMP). [2] These tests can be performed on nasopharyngeal swabs, combined oral and … NAATS are classified as a molecular test . Saliva may be preferred by some to nasopharyngeal swabs as collecting a …
    Briefing

  • Pandemic terminology: getting it right matters for effective risk communication and management

    … and in this blog we detail how pandemic terminology could be upgraded. Consistent, accurate terminology could assist … a 4-level Alert Level system that specifies measures to be taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic at each level ( see … communication tool in the NZ context, but they need to be revised now that more information on pandemic transmission …
    Briefing

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Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)