News Ngā karere

It is encouraging to see rates of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease (IPD), a disease linked with severe forms of pneumonia and meningitis, decreasing among children under 2, following the reintroduction of the PCV13 vaccine in early 2023.

The new Mental Health Bill has been introduced and is now publicly available. The Mental Health Bill will repeal the current Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, which is more than thirty years old and no longer fit for purpose.  

1 October marks the first day a range of new medicines, including cancer medicines, will start to become available in hospitals and health centres across New Zealand.

The Ministry of Health welcomes the Government’s commitment to ongoing funding of $2 million per year for a Child and Youth Mental Health and Addiction Prevalence Survey.

The deadline for all vaping devices to have removeable batteries and a child safety mechanism is coming up on 1  October 2024. 

Medsafe has updated its advice on the law in relation to the supply and use of nitrous oxide for recreational use.

A tobacco and vape retailer and his employee have received fines totalling $8000 after an investigation by Health New Zealand led to the Ministry of Health filing charges against them. These are the first sentencings in a series of prosecutions currently being undertaken by the Ministry against retailers identified as repeat offenders by Health New Zealand investigations.

Key findings and recommendations on the health and wellbeing impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle have been published today.

New ‘Safe Areas’ will be in place around three abortion service providers from 27 September 2024, to protect the safety, wellbeing, privacy and dignity of people who are accessing or providing abortion services. 

A Christchurch shopkeeper has been fined $56,000 for the illegal sale of vapes and cigarettes, including selling vapes to minors.  

The Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora has published the 2023 Health and Independence Report. 

The redesigned Ministry of Health website has been launched today.

Today the Ministry of Health – Mānatu Hauora has opened consultation on the proposed strategy to prevent and minimise gambling harm for the next three years.

A plan aiming to streamline clinical trial reporting procedures in some circumstances is now out for consultation. Medsafe is seeking public feedback on a series of proposed updates to the regulatory guidelines for people conducting clinical trials for medicines and medical devices.

It’s been one year since the Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, supported a pause in the use of surgical mesh to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) on the recommendation of the Surgical Mesh Roundtable (MRT).