Health

In the fight against the superbug apocalypse, don’t fall for the idea that infectious diseases only happen somewhere else

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With antibiotics’ power on the wane, infectious diseases are increasingly hard to combat. And it is much more than just a third world problem, writes Siouxsie Wiles Every week they gather. In church halls and bowling clubs, community centres and rest homes. U3A. Probus. Lions. Rotary. Zonta. Groups of people, often retired, meeting to hear … Read more

A personal plea for a permanent solution to the junior doctors’ dispute – our lives depend on it

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My boyfriend was meant to have surgery today to prevent further paralysis. For us, the stakes in the doctors’ strike could hardly be higher, writes Laura Taylor My partner and I are two twenty-something students who, in a surreal turn of events, for the past year and a half have found ourselves up close and … Read more

E-cigarettes could save lives. Let’s make it easier to buy them

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With the domestic sale of electronic cigarettes set for legalisation, the Ministry of Health is deciding on regulations to govern where, how and to whom they’re sold. The NZ Initiative’s Jenesa Jeram makes the argument for a light hand. Condoms are not 100 percent effective, but there are few who would advise that it means … Read more

Quack hunt: Our vital tool for stopping anti-science crackpots infiltrating your DHB

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Hayden Donnell and Mark Hanna dive deep in the mysterious depths of local democracy to weed out the potential wackos. They’re mostly normal on the front pages of the ballots. Phil Goff. Vic Crone. These people. All sober and level-headed. If these top candidates say something strange, people call them out. Look at Vic Crone. … Read more

Public service announcement: The NZ property market can be hazardous to your health

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For all the hand-wringing over the economic damage done by the housing crisis, precious little attention is paid to its health effects – particularly on those living in poverty. Dr George Laking explains why house prices should come with a health warning. Warning: contains photos of doctors and gory things. We loved our scuzzy flat … Read more

A herbalist anti-vaxxer on Morning Report? I’d laugh if I weren’t so bloody furious

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RNZ needs to do some serious soul-searching about its decision to give a platform to non-scientific nonsense, writes Dr Siouxsie Wiles As I write my blood is boiling. I’m in a rage. There is a measles outbreak going on in the Waikato region, with over 20 confirmed cases. It looks as though the virus has … Read more

Keytruda, Pharmac, and the zero sum game of drug funding

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The human appeals for drug funding are heartbreaking. But we need somehow to put emotion to the side, and allow the experts to weigh up the evidence. In recent days, the campaign to have the government fund Keytruda has stepped up again. A petition was yesterday delivered to parliament, with 11,000 signatures, from 11,000 very concerned … Read more