662 Results

  • A 100 years ago today – the likely first NZ death from the 1918 influenza pandemic

    … died from pandemic influenza was Robert Gordon Torrance, a 25-year-old soldier located in France. He officially “died … were due to this new pandemic virus. Nevertheless, we can’t be absolutely sure that it was the pandemic virus for … are still many places where pigs and poultry cohabit. This can result in pigs being a “mixing vessel” for generating new …
    Briefing

  • The Government’s transport plans work against our health

    … The policies outlined in the draft GPS 2024 are, as a package, likely to worsen the already high levels of … a wide range of pathways (see Figure 1 below). 1 Transport can both improve health (e.g. by facilitating access … other main transport sourced air pollutant) air pollution show that, annually, 2000 premature deaths are caused just …
    Briefing

  • The need for an expanded national smokefree law – just got more critical

    … A just released Judicial Review has opened up the question of … The words “substantially enclosed” mean that smoking can be allowed in partly enclosed areas, which means that – … it should result in a situation that members of the public can clearly understand where smoking can and can’t be …
    Briefing

  • Aotearoa’s first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza: Heightened awareness and surveillance essential for early detection

    … pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus infection on a free-range egg farm in December 2024. The subtype, H7N6, is … found naturally in wild aquatic birds. While humans can be infected with H7 subtypes, and they can cause high mortality, human infection is rare and …
    Briefing

  • Why the New Zealand Government should reconsider abandoning denicotinised cigarettes

    … New Zealanders continue to die every year from smoking and a persistence of associated health inequities.  Introduction … nicotine content and delivery. 2 The nicotine in tobacco can be greatly reduced (e.g. by chemical extraction or gene … smoking. 24 Supply of and demand for illicit cigarettes can be mitigated   The tobacco industry, echoed by the NZ …
    Briefing

  • Wellbeing in public housing vs. private rentals: Quality and security make the difference

    … recent evidence that provision of public housing can improve the wellbeing of people currently in private … is higher. The evidence indicates that secure tenure is a factor in explaining why wellbeing of tenants is higher in … in public housing. Prior evidence Previous studies in NZ show that tenants who moved from private to public housing …
    Briefing

  • The case for tobacco supply restrictions

    … selling tobacco.  Retail supply restrictions are both a logical component of policies that will achieve a … shelf-talkers, end of aisle displays, and sampling booths can entice even the unusually rational among us to deviate … mere availability of products, and the ease with which we can access them, is also very important.  Nearly a century …
    Briefing

  • A new review on dietary fats: Putting its findings in context

    … This blog considers a newly published review on the evidence around dietary fat … particularly those in response to snack foods which can contain high amounts of fats. Chowdhury & colleagues try … with their findings based on dietary intake reports they show no association between saturated or monounsaturated …
    Briefing

  • Where do the parties stand? Protecting water sources and drinking water quality

    … drinking water sources. The urine of dairy cows is a primary source of nitrogen pollution of water. 4 It has … breaches of national drinking water standards for nitrate (a form of nitrogen) in water supplies for some communities. … Gabrielle very recently demonstrated how poor land use can impact water services following heavy rainfall events …
    Briefing

  • Media release: New Zealand urged to boost pandemic preparedness as bird flu spreads in US cattle

    … Public health experts are issuing a call to action for New Zealand to strengthen its pandemic … in response to the evolving threat posed by the Influenza A(H5N1) virus. This strain of what is commonly known as ‘bird … human-to-human transmission, its ability to infect a broader range of animals raises alarms for potential future …
    News

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Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)