682 Results

  • The science is certain: masks work. Policy and practice must support their use

    … and implications for Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). We need to upgrade mask policy to align with current evidence. NZ is … year-round causing high levels of sickness, including Long Covid . 4 5 NZ also experiences large numbers of … Māori and Pacific providers) with clear guidelines about how and when to wear a mask and how to manage communication …
    Briefing

  • Using a fun “Mask Day” at school to promote pandemic protection in the NZ community

    … using face coverings or fabric masks as a strategy to contain COVID-19 pandemic virus transmission, the uptake of mask use in the public has been suboptimal. In this blog, we explore … of the classes, whilst learning about the pandemic and how masks work to protect others in the community. The …
    Briefing

  • The case for a NZ-Australia Pandemic Cooperation Agreement

    … (accidental or deliberate). Global treaties are crucial to pandemic preparedness and response, and a regional … e.g., on freedom to travel internationally; Risks of long-term damage to society or institutions, including: … a lack of consistent definitions and processes, including how to respond to its failure (as happened with the …
    Briefing

  • The COVID-19 house fire and the unbearable silence of fire alarms

    … Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern … as a virus of significant concern. The world saw in 2003 how SARS coronaviruses can behave. Surely there was a strong … alarming the world, so they remain silent for too long. Their function is analogous to a fire alarm, they are …
    Briefing

  • The long shadow of Cyclone Gabrielle: Brief review at 12 months

    … and it became the most costly weather-related disaster in the country’s history. Here we briefly consider its persisting long shadow in terms of: (i) ongoing disruption to lives and stress from housing damage; (ii) ongoing …
    Briefing

  • Communicating public health evidence: Two highly productive years for the PHCC

    … a wide breadth, with a particular focus on responding to emerging threats such as epidemic and pandemics, and … output . Here we describe the scope of topics covered, how our articles address key stages in the policy cycle, the … 16 ). We also need to emphasise proactive issues where long-term action is critical (notably climate change ). 17   …
    Briefing

  • Human health impacts of plastic exposure – an evolving evidence base

    … Summary The evidence for harm to human health caused by plastic has grown in the last five … authors were part of an expert panel advising PM Ardern on how to address the wicked problem of plastic pollution. 1 The … (small plastic pieces less than five millimetres long) and nanoplastics (very small plastic pieces, <1 µm …
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  • Phasing out smoking: The Tobacco-Free Generation policy

    … blog is one of a series examining key aspects of the plan to help inform the debate and submissions. Here we examine … within 5–10 years. Importantly, TFG would ensure the long-term success of the Smokefree 2025 Action Plan, since it … remains minimal after the goal has been achieved. How can the impact of TFG be enhanced? Retail compliance with …
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  • We need to talk about breast cancer screening (part 1)

    … screening are (much) less than previously thought due to over-detection and other issues. In today’s Part 1 blog, … debate comes down to three issues. These are: 1. How much, if at all, does screening reduce breast cancer … on age among the population invited). However there are long standing, legitimate concerns about the quality of many …
    Briefing

  • Shifting all isolation/quarantine facilities to a single air force base: The need for a critical analysis

    … all COVID-19 related isolation/quarantine facilities to a single air force base at Ōhakea are considered. The main … could then allow for a more focused consideration of how best to do quarantine at the border, but analysis of the … being explicit about its decision-making. NZ has a long history of combating the introduction of animal and …
    Briefing

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

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New Zealand | Aotearoa

 

Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)