413 Results

  • Has the time come for a register of AI systems used by government agencies?

    … where accuracy directly impacts health outcomes. AI use is expanding in public health service delivery. It has … environment in which we live. Public transparency about AI use and performance is essential for building trust, … and outlines a set of key principles for the use of AI in health. These align with similar principles put …
    Briefing

  • Five key reasons why NZ should have an official inquiry into the response to the COVID-19 pandemic

    … and the lockdown to enforce physical distancing. The use of testing and contact tracing (and associated case isolation and quarantine of contacts). The use of hygiene interventions and provision of hand sanitiser etc. The use of face masks in various settings. The communication …
    Briefing

  • Not forgetting the benefits to youth and non-smokers – an example from increases in tobacco taxes

    … non-smokers from the burden of tobacco. In this blog we use the issue of tobacco tax increases to show the … years) adults [1], policies which increase or decrease use of these products among this age-group can have profound … alcohol control in NZ would also help, given that alcohol use is related to both the increased risk of smoking uptake, …
    Briefing

  • Throwing open the windows: The need for ventilation improvements as part of Covid-19 outbreak control in Aotearoa

    … These interventions are considered more effective than the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Figure 1.  … be updated to something like the following: If possible use a bedroom with at least one window and keep the window(s) … Ministry advice urgently needs upgrading to include the use of masks by people who are self-isolating. Ventilation in …
    Briefing

  • Will the Health Star Rating labels improve people’s diets?

    … Consumers have a right to have informative yet easy-to-use nutrition labelling, and effective labelling is one tool … been shown to be a very poor predictor of ability to use nutrition information (3-6). Similarly, intentions are … in the US (7-9) and NZ (10) predicted they’d regularly use numeric nutrition tables, and unfortunately we know high …
    Briefing

  • What does recent biomarker literature say about the likely harm from e-cigarettes?

    … is no evidence yet about long-term effects of e-cigarette use on health outcomes, a lot more future research will be … products in the international market. How vapers actually use these products is also a likely determinant of what … of the type of generation of e-cigarette product use (noting the very diverse range of products that go under …
    Briefing

  • New report shows how regional plans could transform freshwater quality

    … would support communities moving towards healthier land use and waterways. At the end of May, to little fanfare, the … limits failed to drive the necessary change to land use, farming systems and practices that would reduce nutrient … was found to be inappropriate for such regulatory use. In 2021, an expert panel reviewed Overseer on behalf of …
    Briefing

  • Pandemic terminology: getting it right matters for effective risk communication and management

    … we focus on a set of key terms where consistent, accurate use is important: Alert Levels : NZ has a 4-level Alert Level … in outbreaks in the community. For example, mass mask use needs to be built into the various Alert Levels (see … a key pandemic control measure which involves widespread use of masks (commercial and home-made) by the public in …
    Briefing

  • The COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ: A brief photo-essay with 10 photos

    … some weaknesses: the slow adoption of mandated mass mask use and the recent run of eight border control failures. … tests become reliable enough and are adopted for use in NZ.   Figure 8: Mandated mask use began for the first time for the NZ public in response to …
    Briefing

  • Counting what matters: Rethinking Aotearoa's population statistics without a census

    … plans 2 3  for a shift away from a 5-yearly Census to the use of administrative data instead. We argue that this shift … including administrative records. Proposed shift to use of administrative data to replace census Statistics NZ … signalled a move from five-yearly population censuses to use of administrative data instead.   Implications for public …
    Briefing

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Public Health Expert Briefing (ISSN 2816-1203)