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Monthly Archives: March 2016

Engaging online simulator of measles outbreaks (& how NZ needs to do better in eliminating measles)

Wednesday, March 30th, 2016 | Kate Sloane | 5 Comments

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Osman Mansoor, Prof Michael Baker

To help explain the concept of ‘herd immunity’, The Guardian Newspaper has produced a clever online simulator of measles spread. We comment on why this simulator is informative and how it also demonstrates chance effects in the spread of infectious diseases. Then we take the opportunity to explain why NZ should be doing more to wipe out diseases like measles.

Measles blog

Source: The Guardian – http://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2015/feb/05/-sp-watch-how-measles-outbreak-spreads-when-kids-get-vaccinated

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The UK Government Shows Leadership with a Soft Drink Tax Announcement

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016 | Kate Sloane | 3 Comments

Dr Wilma Waterlander, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Cliona Ni Mhurchu, Dr Cristina Cleghorn, Dr Andrea McDonald, Dr Helen Eyles, Prof Tony Blakely

Sugar levy announcedA Conservative UK Government has announced a new soft drink tax with revenue recycling towards school-based physical activity programmes. In this blog we briefly look at the UK initiative and assess its possible utility for changing New Zealand’s obesogenic environment.

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NZ’s Smart Use of Big Data: Employment & Income Impacts of Selected Health Conditions

Monday, March 14th, 2016 | Kate Sloane | No Comments

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr George Disney, Prof Tony Blakely

Word Cloud "Big Data"New Zealand is making rapid strides in the smart use of big data to provide better health information for decision-makers. Here we look at a recent output: a Treasury Working Paper that considers the employment and income effects of eight health conditions. Such information could ultimately inform the best use of resources for disease prevention and treatment interventions from a societal perspective.

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New Zealand Can Lead the World in Tobacco Control: Plain Packaging 2.0

Thursday, March 10th, 2016 | Kate Sloane | 1 Comment

Janet Hoek, Co-Director, ASPIRE2025 and Professor of Marketing and Philip Gendall, ASPIRE2025 and Emeritus Professor of Marketing

wallet what got to showThe Prime Minister’s decision to progress plain packaging legislation “sooner rather than later” is an important step towards our smokefree 2025 goal. There are four key areas for improving on Australia’s legislation to maximise the effectiveness of plain packaging:

  • preventing the proliferation of brand variant names;
  • improving the pictorial warning labels so these resonate more effectively with smokers;
  • introducing dissuasive cigarette sticks and rolling papers, and
  • foregrounding Quitline information and supportive cessation messages on packages.

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The Island Bay Cycleway – Terribly Important and Nothing New

Monday, March 7th, 2016 | Kate Sloane | 6 Comments

Professor Alistair Woodward*

Island Bay CyclewayThis is a sensible move to make the city safer and more attractive for carbon-sparing, health-promoting bicycling, according to some. Unnecessary and disruptive and not wanted by most people, argue others. The debate over the Island Bay cycleway is important because the way we build our streets shapes how we live, and consequently determines the health and well-being of populations. But it is nothing new. The Island Bay story has unfolded previously in other places. In essence, this is a debate about the best use of a limited common resource. In Wellington and in many other cities the status quo is being challenged. The fundamental question is: how does the public road accommodate change?

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