Ministry of Health New Zealand

Last Friday, 17 May 2024, Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, spoke at the NZ Women in Medicine conference, held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. What began as an online support group six years ago has now grown to a sector body representing 5000 women doctors across Aotearoa New Zealand at all stages in their careers and in all specialities of medicine. The theme for this year’s conference was: “Hope moves us forward together.” Dr Sarfati spoke about the future of health - discussing some of the big trends affecting health and health systems and how we can collectively influence positive change. You can find more information about NZ Women in Medicine here: https://www.nzwim.org.nz/ 📷 MC Kay Gregory with Dr Sarfati (who is wearing pink for Pink Shirt Day which also took place on Friday 17 May.)

This Sunday, the Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora will join The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners in celebrating World Family Doctor Day. It is a day to acknowledge the immense contribution of GPs, family doctors and primary health care teams across the motu and worldwide. This year’s theme is ‘Healthy Planet, Healthy People.’ The health sector in New Zealand currently contributes between 3 and 8 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners are utilising World Family Doctor Day to showcase the ongoing efforts within primary care to address the effects of climate change within health and highlight the links between the health of our planet and the health of patients. You can read their position statement here: https://lnkd.in/g9AD7ZZp

By taking part in Pink Shirt Day 2024, the Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora is doing our part to eliminate bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusion. Those in our Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) office came together today for a shared morning tea. Championed by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, today is about creating a community where all people feel safe, valued and respected, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion or cultural background. This extends to online communities as well. We encourage you to take part today and everyday, to stamp out bullying and celebrating diversity & promoting kindness and inclusion. Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora! Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying! #pinkshirtday 📷 Deputy Director-General's Simon Medcalf and Robyn Shearer at the Ministry’s Pink Shirt Day shared morning tea.

The Ministry of Health has today published a new report titled: 'Life since the pandemic: How the COVID-19 pandemic experience has shaped public attitudes and beliefs on public health, infectious disease and vaccination.' It is the first in a series of four reports examining public attitudes and behaviours to public health measures that will be published this year. The research was commissioned to support public health services and policymakers to better assess what public health measures could be effective and proportionate in protecting New Zealanders from harm during a future pandemic. More information here: https://lnkd.in/eZjhkP9R

This Sunday is International Nurses Day. It provides an opportunity for all New Zealanders to recognise our nurses, and everything they do to contribute to the health and wellbeing of our nation. Nurses are the largest single regulated health workforce in the country, with more than 78,000 nurses across a wide range of health settings making a difference to the everyday lives of New Zealanders. Across the health sector, Chief Nursing Officers and Chief Nurses have shared their support and gratitude to the nursing workforce around the motu. “A strong and valued nursing workforce improves whānau and community wellbeing in addition to enhancing patient outcomes, says Lorraine Hetaraka, Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health. “The most meaningful way to say thank you is to ensure we look after nurses’ wellbeing, by helping make nursing a profession they’re proud to be part of and where they feel truly valued,” says Emma Hickson, Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora’s National Chief Nurse. “In Aotearoa New Zealand we acknowledge the special contributions made by our Māori and Pacific nurses to the communities they work with,” says Nadine Gray, Chief Nursing Officer, Hauora Māori Services. To all nurses who have worked in Aotearoa New Zealand - both past and present - we’d like to say thank you for the impact you have made, and continue to make on the lives of individuals, whānau and communities. 📷 Nurses at the recent Regional Nursing Engagement hui held in Whakatane, facilitated by Hauora a Toi.

This week, we’re celebrating New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme for this year is ‘an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere’. The goal is to spread the joy of NZSL across all of Aotearoa to make NZSL a language for everyone, everywhere. NZSL became an official language of Aotearoa in 2006, and is celebrated every May to increase awareness & understanding of NZSL & the Deaf community and to empower and strengthen the Deaf community. NZSL is an evolving language that enables the Deaf community to thrive and break down barriers. It is important that we treasure NZSL and celebrate everyday Deaf Kiwis. Learning a new language can be scary at first, but together, we can make NZSL thrive. Find out more about NZSL Week here: https://nzslweek.org.nz/

15 projects have been selected to provide evidence that supports gambling harm prevention and reduction in New Zealand. These projects will form part of the research programme of the Strategy to Prevent and Minimise Gambling Harm 2022/23 to 2024/25 (Strategy). After a rigorous procurement process that kicked off in September 2023, the procurement process attracted interest from researchers across New Zealand and worldwide. Sonia Chen, Principal Research Advisor at the Ministry of Health, says the funded projects were of a high calibre and many projects would contribute to more than one of the research priorities outlined in the Strategy. Gambling harm can be hidden, and it is estimated that about 1 in 5 people in Aotearoa New Zealand will experience harm in their lifetime due to their own or someone else’s gambling. It is also a significant social, economic, and health issue that disproportionately affects Māori, Pacific peoples, Asian communities, young people/rangatahi, and people on lower incomes. You can find more information, including a link to the full list of newly funded projects here: https://lnkd.in/gXdvbQfz

This Sunday, we recognise and celebrate International Day of the Midwife. Midwives provide essential services to māmā and whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand – and across the globe. This year’s theme is 'A Vital Climate Solution’. By offering continuity of care in communities, midwives reduce the need for avoidable travel to health facilities, thereby cutting the carbon footprint of healthcare while ensuring accessibility. Our Chief Clinical Officer Maternity, Heather Muriwai (Tangahoe, Ngāti Ruanui) reflects on the work that midwives do in their communities, “Midwifery is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week essential service. We need to work towards models of care that support excellent experiences and outcomes for whānau and are sustainable for midwives - acknowledging they have whānau too.” On behalf of Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora, Heather would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the midwives who bring our pēpi into this world. The Ministry acknowledges the vital work midwives do and the unique services they provide throughout pregnancy, birth and in the weeks following.

On Sunday, we recognise World Day for Safety and Health at Work. This year’s theme, chosen by the International Labour Organization explores the ‘impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health.’ We can all take action to build a safe and healthy working culture - for yourself, your workmates, friends, whānau and community. This includes workers, leaders, and people with influence over health and safety in their work environments. You can read more about World Day for Safety and Health at Work here: https://lnkd.in/g5zbRKdy WorkSafe is New Zealand's primary workplace health and safety regulator. Their mahi helps to prevent future tragedies, reduce harm, and to ensure everyone who goes to work comes home healthy and safe. You can visit their website here: https://lnkd.in/gcft4YY

Lest we forget. Today we commemorate the service and sacrifice of all New Zealand servicemen and servicewomen. It marks the anniversary of the first major action by New Zealand and Australian forces during the First World War, landing on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. We also want to acknowledge the 550 New Zealand nurses who served overseas during the First World War. For Kiwi soldiers far from home, the psychological advantage of being nursed by a New Zealand nurse was said to be enormous. The nurses enlisted for many of the same reasons as soldiers and faced many challenges. For more information: https://lnkd.in/gTTQqD5E Photo: NZ Defence Force