News Ngā karere

The Ministry of Health is today marking the 20th anniversary of the ground-breaking Smoke-free Environments Amendment Act 2003 coming into force. 

The Director-General of Health has reconfirmed the directions issued to 14 local authorities to fluoridate one or more of their water supplies. This followed the completion of a court-ordered Bill of Rights Act assessment.

Health agencies have confirmed today that Aotearoa New Zealand is now in the early stages of a whooping cough epidemic, with a nationally coordinated response now in place. 

The Ministry is encouraging people to take steps to help ensure important medicines, such as antibiotics, can remain effective for treating infections.

The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 will self-repeal on 26 November, marking the end to the potential use of COVID-19 specific legal tools to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Public Health Agency, within the Ministry of Health, has published New Zealand’s first Health National Adaptation Plan, establishing a new foundation for building climate resilience within our health system and beyond.

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

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.

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

Invasive group A streptococcal infection (iGAS) will become a ‘notifiable’ disease on 1 October 2024. In addition, Cabinet has now also removed COVID-19 from the list of quarantinable infectious diseases.

On 1 June, the World Health Assembly adopted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR). New Zealand will have 18 months to consider whether to accept, reject or reserve against the amendments and a further 6 months before they come into force.

New research shows the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted New Zealanders’ attitudes to infectious diseases, with a greater willingness to protect themselves and an expectation that others will act to prevent the spread of disease.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) changed its infant feeding guidelines. The Ministry has performed an initial review of the evidence and considered that in a country like New Zealand, our current guidance is still appropriate.

The New Zealand Medical Assistance Team is being internationally commended for being able to provide health care which goes well beyond the minimum requirements.