599 Results

  • Monitoring and forecasting the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand including the successful impact of the lockdown

    … was a clear need to find a modelling approach that could be used by policymakers and non-specialists to monitor the … spread of the virus, and allow timely risk assessments to be made at critical times. The reproduction number (R 0 ) is … outbreaks. For this reason, mathematical models can be used to quantify R, which in turn can provide important …
    Briefing

  • The hardening hypothesis for smoking – but does the evidence point to “softening” in NZ?

    … as smoking prevalence declines, the remaining smokers will be the more addicted ones who are less likely to quit. But … declines the remaining smokers will increasingly be ‘hard-core’ or ‘hardened’, with higher nicotine dependence … common-sense that lighter and more motivated smokers will be over-represented and hard-core smokers under-represented …
    Briefing

  • Phasing out smoking: The Tobacco-Free Generation policy

    … Free Generation (TFG) propose? Consumers have a right to be protected from products that may kill them, particularly … those products are addictive. Other products found to be harmful to health (e.g. asbestos, leaded petrol) have been … so many people are already addicted to smoking, it may be impractical to ban the sale of tobacco products overnight, …
    Briefing

  • Is Keytruda for advanced melanoma cost-effective? Applying the BODE3 rapid cost effectiveness calculator

    … calculator, and find that Keytruda may well be (just) cost-effective – but with huge uncertainty, and … in the NZ setting a bit tricky, as our comparator would be yet another drug: dacarbazine. PHARMAC have considered … data from earlier trials (where long-term follow-up should be done) has not been provided, and in the more recent trials …
    Briefing

  • Lessons learned from a remote blood pressure lowering trial in Aotearoa

    … considering the use of technology in research to be aware of some of the lesser-known challenges they may … has shown that high BP and cardiovascular disease can be markedly reduced by lowering population sodium intake 2 . … population, and dietary sodium reduction is likely to be one of the best ways to do it. In 2018 we embarked on a …
    Briefing

  • Covid-19 Case-Fatality Risk & Infection-Fatality Risk – important measures to help guide the pandemic response

    … the cumulative CFR in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) to be around 0.08%, which is lower than other jurisdictions who … CFR at 0.1% and Asian the lowest at 0.024%. Care must be taken when interpreting these statistics, for example, … are amongst the unvaccinated. A recent study (still to be peer-reviewed) suggests that in Hong Kong, ‘ a similar …
    Briefing

  • Proposed vaping regulations for NZ: Strengths and limitations

    … regulation of vaping products, and ensures that they will be widely available to smokers who wish to use them to help … regulated products, like smoked tobacco products, may not be sold to people aged under 18 years. Several of these … vaping devices). As with smoking, local authorities will be able to designate vape-free outdoor areas. Many local …
    Briefing

  • The Smokefree 2025 goal is in danger of receding – will the Ministry of Health’s ‘realignment’ get it back on track?

    … “The national target of being smokefree by 2025 will not be met without a massive shake-up of funding for anti-tobacco … services contracts, end in June 2016, when they will be re-tendered (2). This action responds to the recent ‘ … evidence (4,5) that the Smokefree 2025 goal will not be achieved with a business as usual approach. There are some …
    Briefing

  • Period Drama: How to Address Period Poverty in Aotearoa

    … Having periods can be bloody hard work, but for some people they p resent … for free in schools in Aotearoa, but what more can be done?   What is Period Poverty?   Many people experience … is a public health and health equity issue that must be effectively addressed in Aotearoa. The Impacts of Period …
    Briefing

  • Will the Health Star Rating labels improve people’s diets?

    … consumer preference has repeatedly been shown to be a very poor predictor of ability to use nutrition … they are “ clearly influencing consumer choice ”. We would be wise to remember that over ten years ago, our regulators assured us that the NIP would be the catalyst for dietary change (18,19). This format was …
    Briefing

Subscribe

Briefing CTA

Public Health Expert Briefing

Get the latest insights from the public health research community delivered straight to your inbox for free. Subscribe to stay up to date with the latest research, analysis and commentary from the Public Health Expert Briefing.

PHCC logo PHCC

The PHCC is funded by a philanthropic endowment from the Gama Foundation and hosted by the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington.

Contact

Email phcc@phcc.org.nz
43 Hanson Street, Mt Cook, 
Wellington | Te Whanganui-a-Tara
PO Box 7343, Wellington South 6242
New Zealand | Aotearoa

 

Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)