An Official Inquiry into the Covid-19 Pandemic Response – It’s Time and it’s Vital

Thursday, September 22nd, 2022 | cooju60p | 3 Comments

Prof Nick Wilson, A/Prof George Thomson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker*

The Government has acknowledged the need for a formal review of the Covid-19 pandemic response. In this blog we explain how it is now time to announce the process and timetable for such an official inquiry. We note that all sudden mass fatality events with 10+ deaths since 1936 in Aotearoa NZ have resulted in an official inquiry. Ensuring an inquiry has lasting usefulness will depend on the depth and scope of the terms of reference, taking a forward-looking and depoliticised approach. Effective follow-up of recommendations through legislation, active implementation, and enforcement by Government will also be required. (See here a very short video summary of this blog, and here for a longer video.)

Figure 1: Photograph of 440 students at Wellington College to symbolically represent the worst day for deaths from the 1918 influenza pandemic in NZ – a pandemic that was followed by a valuable official inquiry in 1919. Photo by Luke Pilkinton-Ching, University of Otago Continue reading

Concluding the Public Health Solutions Series 

Thursday, September 15th, 2022 | cooju60p | No Comments

Over the last five weeks, Public Health Expert blog has published ten invited blogs on the best public health interventions the Government can put in place to reduce pressure on the health system.  

Photo by Luke Pilkinton-Ching of University of Otago

As highlighted in the media this week, the health system “remains under massive strain” and with the relaxing of covid rules this issue is unlikely to ease in the near future. The ongoing demands of Covid-19, long covid and deferred routine care will continue to place untenable pressure on the health system. A health system which is also experiencing health workforce shortages. It is easy to see how this ongoing strain on the health system will lead to worsening health and widening health inequities. Policies that are designed to prevent ill health and reduce health inequities are more important than ever. 

This Public Health Expert blog series has illustrated that there is much we could do to reduce the demand for healthcare in Aotearoa. These blogs have presented evidence of policies that can improve overall health and wellbeing with impact in the short to medium term. They have outlined policies that affect alcohol, unhealthy food and tobacco consumption, transport behaviour, access to adequate housing, injury prevention, mental health, cancer and infectious diseases with one blog focused on policies for children 

This is a broad view of public health and provides dozens of complementary policies for the Government to consider. Policies identified by the authors that would have immediate impacts on demand for healthcare include low traffic neighbourhoods; applying pandemic infrastructure to address other infections; lifting income support; reformulation of processed food; improving building standards; drug and alcohol legislation reform, alcohol taxes, and policies included in the Smokefree Bill, among others. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has illustrated that the Government can act quickly and decisively in a crisis. The Omicron peak has passed and it is now time to refocus on public health policies that prevent wider ill-health, reduce inequities and preserve our healthcare system and workers. 

Finally, we wanted to thank all the authors who enthusiastically contributed to this blog series, to Luke Pilkinton-Ching and others for the images used and to Julie Cooper for all her work getting these blogs published. 

Co-editors: Cristina Cleghorn and Caroline Shaw

Dementia: Update on causes and prevention, including the role of COVID-19

Tuesday, September 13th, 2022 | cooju60p | 3 Comments

Prof John Potter* 

Dementia is steadily increasing worldwide with major individual, family, societal, and economic consequences. This long-read blog details how, although treatment is currently largely ineffective and aspects of the underlying pathophysiology unclear, there is good evidence that much of it is preventable. In particular measures overlap with those for: preventing cardiovascular disease and diabetes (e.g., diet, physical activity, control of obesity); preventing head injuries (e.g., from falls and traffic injuries); advancing alcohol control; and, it is becoming increasingly clear, preventing respiratory infections (e.g., vaccination against influenza and COVID-19).  

Image by Maria Magdalens via Wikimedia Commons Continue reading

Public Health Solutions Series: Stemming the tide of cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand

Thursday, September 8th, 2022 | cooju60p | 1 Comment

Jason Gurney*

This blog is part of the Public Health Solutions series looking at effective public health measures to reduce demand on healthcare quickly. This blog looks at solutions to reduce cancer: action on tobacco products; reducing infectious diseases and focusing on system level solutions. 

Image by Airman 1st Class Brittany Perry, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Continue reading

Public Health Solutions Series: Mental health services can’t solve a mental health crisis: public mental health priorities in Aotearoa

Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 | cooju60p | 1 Comment

Ruth Cunningham*

This blog is part of the Public Health Solutions series looking at effective public health measures to reduce demand on healthcare quickly. This blog looks at solutions to improve mental health: increasing benefit levels, increasing physical activity, drug and alcohol legislation reform and employment support for those with mental illness. 

Image by Riccardo from Pexels Continue reading

 
 
 

Any views or opinion represented in this site belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Otago. Any view or opinion represented in the comments are personal and are those of the respective commentator/contributor to this site.