Public Health Solutions Series: Improving the cost, composition and availability of foods can save lives

Thursday, September 1st, 2022 | cooju60p | No Comments

Cristina Cleghorn, Sally Mackay *

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 in the food system: reducing the cost and increasing the availability of healthy food and reformulation of processed food.

Image by Spike Elliott-Jones
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Public Health Solutions Series: Two Injury Prevention Strategies to Reduce Pressure on the Health System

Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 | cooju60p | No Comments

Prof Nick Wilson* 

This blog is part of the Public Health Solutions series looking at reducing pressure on the health system of Aotearoa NZ – this blog briefly considers raising alcohol taxes and further lowering the drink driving limits. There is good scientific evidence supporting both these measures and if political leaders explained the health and economic benefits – majority public support for such measures is quite plausible. 

Image by Luke Pilkinton-Ching, University of Otago

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Public Health Solutions Series: Protecting the healthcare system: a strategic approach to reducing infectious disease impacts in Aotearoa New Zealand

Thursday, August 25th, 2022 | cooju60p | No Comments

Amanda Kvalsvig, Jennifer Summers, Michael Baker* 

This blog is part of the Public Health Solutions series looking at effective public health measures to reduce demand on healthcare quickly. In this blog we outline three immediate approaches to protect people and systems from infectious disease impacts: building on synergies in infectious disease control; applying pandemic infrastructure to address other infections; and supporting safe access to education, work, and social settings. 

Image by Amanda Kvalsvig, University of Otago

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Public Health Solutions Series: Good health in childhood is vital for lifelong wellbeing: time for a preventive approach

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022 | cooju60p | 1 Comment

Amanda D’Souza, Nikki Turner* 

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 child health: a child impact lens on policy, lifting income support, action on childhood immunisation. 

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Public Health Solutions Series: Achieving a Smokefree Aotearoa

Thursday, August 18th, 2022 | cooju60p | 2 Comments

Richard Edwards, Janet Hoek, Anaru Waa*

This blog is part of the Public Health Solutions series looking at effective public health measures to reduce demands on healthcare services quickly. In this blog, we review two key policy interventions included in the Smokefree Bill currently before Parliament which could rapidly, substantially and equitably reduce smoking prevalence: mandated denicotinisation and a reduction in tobacco retailers. We do not consider the smokefree generation policy, a third key measure in the Smokefree Bill, as its impact will be more long term. 

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