Public Health Communication Centre - PHCC Aotearoa

Public Health Communication Centre - PHCC Aotearoa Promoting research and evidence for a healthier Aotearoa

Bigger vehicles, bigger impacts. New analysis of NZ travel data finds ‘supersized’ vehicles are mostly used for short ur...
09/04/2026

Bigger vehicles, bigger impacts. New analysis of NZ travel data finds ‘supersized’ vehicles are mostly used for short urban trips despite their outsized health, safety, and climate costs.

Most trips made by double-cab utes in Aotearoa New Zealand are short, urban journeys that do not require large, high-powered vehicles, according to new analysis of national travel data.

Improving the affordability and availability of healthy, sustainable food can deliver substantial health gains, reduce i...
07/04/2026

Improving the affordability and availability of healthy, sustainable food can deliver substantial health gains, reduce inequities for Māori and lower long-term health system costs, according to research modelling the impact of several food policy options in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Assoc Prof Cristina Cleghorn and co-authors report that while all policies showed benefits, reducing the cost of core sustainable foods had the greatest impact, with additional gains possible through complementary education and community-based initiatives.


Modelling shows that policies to improve the affordability and availability of healthy, sustainable foods could deliver substantial health gains, reduce inequities for Māori and lower long-term health system costs in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s fuel vulnerability highlights the need for rapid, low-cost measures that reduce reliance on drivi...
01/04/2026

Aotearoa New Zealand’s fuel vulnerability highlights the need for rapid, low-cost measures that reduce reliance on driving by making walking and cycling safer and more accessible.

Dr Emma Osborne and co-authors (Dr Alice Miller, Dr Ed Randal and Assoc Prof Caroline Shaw at the University of Otago) outline how low-traffic neighbourhoods, pop-up cycleways and free bike or e-bike programmes can quickly cut fuel demand while delivering health and social benefits.


Aotearoa New Zealand’s fuel vulnerability highlights the need for rapid, low-cost measures that reduce reliance on driving by making walking and cycling safer and more accessible. Here are three quick wins.

Sepsis hospitalisations in Aotearoa increased by 78% between 2000 and 2019, with infants, people over 70, Māori and Paci...
01/04/2026

Sepsis hospitalisations in Aotearoa increased by 78% between 2000 and 2019, with infants, people over 70, Māori and Pacific peoples, and those living in areas of deprivation at much higher risk of developing the condition.

Research by Sharla McTavish and co-authors (Jane Zhang, June Atkinson, Assoc Prof Amanda Kvalsvig, Alice Hyun Min Kim, Dr Colin McArthur, Dr Paul Huggan and Prof Michael Baker) highlights the need for a coordinated national action plan focused on prevention, early treatment, equitable care, and long-term recovery.

Sepsis hospitalisations in Aotearoa New Zealand increased by 78% between 2000 and 2019, with persistent inequities for Māori, Pacific peoples and those in high deprivation.

From 'Cotton Candy' to ‘Gummy Bear’, V**e retailers are flouting flavour restrictions, finds new research
26/03/2026

From 'Cotton Candy' to ‘Gummy Bear’, V**e retailers are flouting flavour restrictions, finds new research

Youth va**ng remains a significant public health concern in Aotearoa New Zealand, with new research showing that regulations designed to reduce the appeal of va**ng products to young people are not being consistently followed.

Influenza vaccination reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes by about one third, with protection comparable to co...
24/03/2026

Influenza vaccination reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes by about one third, with protection comparable to commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications.

In our latest Briefing, Dr Phil Shirley (Immunisation Advisory Centre NZ) and co-authors highlight that increasing vaccination uptake, particularly among higher-risk groups, could prevent a substantial number of cardiovascular events in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Influenza vaccination cuts the risk of heart attacks and strokes by about a third, yet remains underused among the New Zealanders who would benefit most.

Time to update our dog control laws?Dog-related injuries are rising in Aotearoa New Zealand, with more than 29,000 ACC c...
11/03/2026

Time to update our dog control laws?

Dog-related injuries are rising in Aotearoa New Zealand, with more than 29,000 ACC claims and over 1000 hospitalisations in the last year, highlighting the need for stronger laws.

Dr Natasha Duncan-Sutherland, Mareta Hunt, Professor Bridget Kool, and Dr Michael Shepherd argue that evidence-based amendments to the Dog Control Act 1996, including mandatory sterilisation, mandatory reporting of dog-related injuries, and stronger animal management powers, are needed to reduce harm.

The number of dog-related injuries is rising in Aotearoa New Zealand, highlighting the need for stronger prevention through amendments to the Dog Control Act.

The just-released Phase Two report of NZ's COVID-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry highlights the need to prepare now for t...
10/03/2026

The just-released Phase Two report of NZ's COVID-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry highlights the need to prepare now for the next pandemic.

In a new Briefing, Prof Michael Baker and colleagues outline key steps to strengthen New Zealand’s pandemic preparedness.

The critical next step is the NZ Government’s response. Aotearoa needs to be ready when the next pandemic hits.

As landscape and urban fires increase in frequency and severity in Aotearoa New Zealand, smoke pollution is posing a gro...
04/03/2026

As landscape and urban fires increase in frequency and severity in Aotearoa New Zealand, smoke pollution is posing a growing health risk.

Dr Guy Coulson and co authors, Associate Professor Julie Bennett, Dr Caroline Halley, Dr Joel Rindelaub, Gustavo Olivares and Dr Ian Longley outline how real-time air quality monitoring, coordinated agency response and wider access to indoor air filtration could better protect communities during fire events.

Read our latest Briefing - Fire smoke and public health: From delayed warnings to real-time action

https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/fire-smoke-and-public-health-delayed-warnings-real-time-action

As fires increase in frequency and severity in Aotearoa New Zealand, real-time air quality monitoring, coordinated agency response and wider access to indoor filtration have the potential to better protect communities from the health risks of smoke pollution.

Providing free e-bikes with training and social support helps people keep riding and improves their physical and mental ...
26/02/2026

Providing free e-bikes with training and social support helps people keep riding and improves their physical and mental health, supporting the case for wider access to grow active transport in Aotearoa New Zealand. 🚲⚡

Providing free e-bikes with training and social support helps people keep riding and improves their physical and mental health, supporting the case for wider access to grow active transport in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Over five decades New Zealand’s drug laws have coincided with increased drug availability, falling prices and rising ind...
23/02/2026

Over five decades New Zealand’s drug laws have coincided with increased drug availability, falling prices and rising indicators of harm, with Māori disproportionately affected.

Jacek Kolodziej and co-authors say evidence from across the world shows health-based approaches to drug policy achieve better outcomes than punitive models and call on politicians to work across party lines to replace the outdated Misuse of Drugs Act.

Evidence shows that health-based approaches to drug policy achieve better outcomes than punitive models.

Protection for NZ’s drinking water sources will be significantly weakened under the proposed replacement of the RMA. 🚱
04/02/2026

Protection for NZ’s drinking water sources will be significantly weakened under the proposed replacement of the RMA. 🚱

Protection for Aotearoa New Zealand’s drinking water sources would be significantly weakened under the Government’s proposed replacement of the Resource Management Act, based on the Natural Environment Bill and the Planning Bill as currently drafted, according to the latest Public Health Communi...

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