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BLOG POSTS

At the PHANZ, we regularly publish blogs or think pieces on relevant public health issues. The published blogs are authored by our staff, membership, friends of the Association, or are invited publications that meet our strategic priorities. 

Below are our most recent blogs and PolicySpot articles.

  • 16 May 2022 6:19 PM | Anonymous

    The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, also known as the frequency illusion, recency bias, or red car syndrome. Is where something you recently learned or heard or thought about starts to seemingly appear everywhere. Your awareness of it increases, and you start to detect it everywhere. Lately, this has been happening to me in regards to the power of data and data systems. The simple act of collecting and reporting and analysing data can provide huge insight and promote behavioural change – for good and for bad.

    Reporting Data

    Data can be collected and reported to make a positive change to the well-being of people. For example, Mind the Gap is New Zealand’s first pay gap registry. It is a database of New Zealand businesses that shows who is publishing their pay gaps for gender, Maori and Pacific Peoples, and what those pay gaps are. Evidence shows that simply reporting pay gap data can have an influence on reducing those gaps. For example, by applying what the impact of pay gap reporting has been in other countries to New Zealand, a woman earning the current median wage ($26.37) could receive $12.80 - $35.77 a week more (that’s up to $1788 extra a year). To date, no country has introduced ethnic pay gap reporting. Therefore the impact of mandatory reporting on the wages of Māori and Pacific men and other ethnic workers, and particularly Māori and Pacific women could be life-changing.

    See Mind the Gap website or policy brief for more information.

    Exploiting Data

    Social media platforms are fruitful repositories of data. Unfortunately, data from social media users can be exploited by businesses to make a profit. Exploitative marketing can target vulnerable people that may be feeling susceptible to the advertising messages. For example, 51% of parents and pregnant women surveyed for a new WHO/UNICEF report say they have been targeted with marketing from formula milk companies, much of which is in breach of international standards on infant feeding practices. In the WHO report ‘How marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding’, it uncovers systematic and unethical marketing strategies used by the formula milk industry and highlights the impact on families' decisions about how to feed their infants and young children. Just one example of how data can be misused to individually target vulnerable mothers, but what if social media algorithms were used for good? To find the vulnerable mothers online and actually direct them towards help.

    Data deficiencies

    New analyses by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that the full death toll of COVID-19 (between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 202) was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). Drastically higher than previously reported death tolls of around 5-6 million. The disparity is largely due to many countries lacking adequate data systems. Measurement of excess mortality is an essential component to understand the impact of the pandemic but data deficiencies make it difficult to assess the true scope of a crisis.

    The SCORE for Health Data Report and Technical Package was developed by WHO and partners to assist country data systems to monitor progress toward health-related goals. The SCORE global report included 133 countries, but New Zealand was not one of them. While some countries have achieved a sustainable capacity in key areas, no country has a fully mature health information system capable of meeting its evolving needs.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, we should take a critical look at our data systems to determine if we are able to properly monitor health priorities and identify critical gaps in a timely manner.

  • 22 Apr 2022 3:47 PM | Anonymous

    Nā Chris Webber

    Kua hinga he totara nui - In late March we lost one of Aotearoa’s 'tallest trees' having been at the front line on numerous fronts challenging and expanding our thinking and development as a nation. A tribute to Moana, collating some of this contributions and ongoing ripples for action is provided by the Action Stations team. Much of his work speaks to the heart of things that need to go right before many of our efforts in public health can be effective and equitable.

    I recall attending one of the 2013 hui Moana Led with Margaret Mutu and team on Constitutional Transformation - our questionnaire starting with 'If we could have a new constitution tomorrow, what are the key values or tikanga you would like to see it based upon?' This was followed up by 'What do you think of the Bolivian idea about having a special constitutional recognition of the Earth Mother?' Here we are some years later starting to recognise Te Mana o Te Wai and other principles for protecting Planetary Health as a most pressing need. Also reminding ourselves daily about the key values or tikanga we need to operate on.

    Nō reira e te manu taikō - haere koe i raro i te manaakitanga a te Runga Rawa, kia a rātou ki tēra taha, hei whakapai huarahi mā tātou. Aroha tino nui.


  • 17 Apr 2022 1:20 PM | Anonymous

    "To honour the treaty, we must first settle colonisation” these are the words of Moana Jackson, and we’ll keep living by them. To say our event, Te Tiriti-Based Futures + Anti-Racism 2022, was a “success” seems to be the wrong word. Treaties aren’t settled, they are successful when they are lived. So, we are proud. We had over 40-thousand registrations, that means that over 40-thousand times someone decided they wanted to learn more about Te Tiriti, they wanted to practice anti-racism, we are really proud of that. When we are talking about Te Tiriti, we are talking about trauma, but we are also talking about hope.  

    We are grateful to our partners and to our volunteers, our 10-day online wānanga held many treasures, taonga tuku iho, wisdom that should influence our behaviour and demand that we question how we come to know what we know. The health inequity Māori face in Aotearoa is unrelenting, Covid-19 has been no different. Māori death rates are higher than Pākehā, these deaths are the result of racism. There is hope in arming people with tools to be anti-racist. That is what we did at our event. Tiriti-based work has to be unrelenting, Ka whawhai tonu mātou mō te āke, āke, āke! We’ve started planning for 2024, we have a draft schedule and the line-up is already hard to get onto. If you have skills you want to volunteer, let us know, we haven’t put our tools down. I want to give Matua Moana the final word, in the foreword to Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based practice in health promotion a free comprehensive resource written by Grant Berghan, A/Prof Heather Came and others, he stated “while progress is being made in understanding the Tiriti relationship, there is still some way to go."

    - Eridani Baker

  • 04 Apr 2022 12:35 PM | Anonymous

    Global Public Health Week (GPHW) from April 4 – 8. 2022 brings together institutions, communities, and public health actors from around Aotearoa, New Zealand and the world to recognize the contributions of public health and its workforce. This annual event engenders discussion on the best practices and missing gaps fundamental to disease prevention and the promotion of health and wellbeing.

    ‘The Covid-19 pandemic has made the public health field more apparent and appreciated. However, the risk of regression post-pandemic is high. We cannot lose this momentum; we need to act now to prevent the next pandemic. Making public health visible and understood is a key step for emergency preparedness. Facilitating sharing of the knowledge, resources and barriers faced by public health professionals globally is key to improving public health in all contexts,’ states the World Federation of Public Health Associations.

    PHANZ CEO Grant Berghan said Global Public Health week was an opportunity to stop, reflect and reset according to the public health challenges and opportunities that were in front of us.

    ‘The global reference enables us to appreciate our dependency on this planet we call home, and the importance of our relationships with ourselves and all other things that live with us. At the deepest level these are moral issues that require personal commitment and co-ordinated public health action. It’s time for a much more assertive public health activism.’

    The theme for the week is “Public Health Matters: Building the New Future”.

    In addition to the main theme, each day will focus on a specific theme:

    Join us in this initiative to make public health stronger!


  • 04 Apr 2022 12:27 PM | Anonymous

    Kai Tahi best time to share

    Join us on Friday, April 8 for the second Kai Tahi lunchtime session building Māori capacity in public health. Whanaungatanga and learning together in a relaxed format. Mauri Ora!

    Kai Tahi arose as a natural start to growing relationships and engagement to build Māori Capacity in public health. 

    "Just stopping for a friendly cuppa or kai together with open hearts and minds creates space for the magic to flow", says PHANZ Senior Policy Advisor - Māori, Chris Webber, "also a safe space for sharing and clearing the tapu from battle-weary minds". 

    The sessions also review a set of key 'tangas’ or human practice learnt over centuries in Aotearoa alongside practical experiences in public health shared by guest speakers and participants.

    For further information contact Chris@pha.org.nz or visit the PHANZ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/321012866537721 page.

    The second Kai Tahi provides a focus on kaitiakitanga and guest speaker Karmin Erueti, PHANZ Māori Caucus Chair, will share public health sector observations.

  • 01 Apr 2022 4:36 PM | Anonymous

    Chris Webber, Senior Policy Analyst (Māori)


    In a Māori view of the world, children of Rangi and Papa may well be having a field day with mankind implicated in the mix. We can globally be reminded of our individual actions that support the kotahitanga or unity needed to change our destiny and reduce the wrath we are set to face. Everyone can lift where they stand and will be needed in this, reflected in these two whakatauki:

    • Mā pango, mā whero, ka oti ai te mahi - the importance of collaboration and partnership to complete the work
    • Nau te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi - our combined food baskets will sustain the people

    But the 'why' in this is hidden until we examine the corners of our hearts: 

    He kokonga whare e kitea, he kokonga whare e kore e kitea - we can see the corners of a house but not the corners of our hearts. 

    By examining ourselves and our caring for each other as siblings in the world may we have the heart to change our nature as selfish beings. Kia kotahi tatou te whanau o te ao - be as one in the world through organised intention and efforts!


    *Picture is of the kohatu called Te Ao as it looks a bit like the world shiny green and blue.

  • 24 Mar 2022 10:40 PM | Anonymous

    New Zealand's Asian including Chinese did very well having the primary course of the Pfizer vaccine, but seems to lag behind in booster shots, especially among the elderly (over 65 years of age). As of Sunday (6 March 2022), the booster shot rate for Chinese seniors was just 72 per cent, far behind 91 per cent for Europeans in the same age group. Misleading information on social media (such as exaggerating the side effects of the vaccine, suggesting that Omicron infection has no effect on the body - "it is a mild disease anyway," and "the elderly will not get infected as they do not go out of the house") hinders the vaccination of the booster shots. At present, New Zealand is still having a surge of Omicron (likely dominated by the sub-variant BA.2), which means there are a large number of cases in our communities. Although the Pfizer booster dose may have an efficacy of 50-60% against Omicron, it is significant to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and even death. It's important to work together to address the rampant spreading of misinformation on social media and design tailored approach improving the booster rate for the seniors (some Asian, MELAA and Pacific groups). GP clinics, pharmacies, community organizations, the ministries of health (including DHBs) and ethnic communities will need to join efforts together to avoid what we saw in other areas of the world. Here is the media report: Why Asian Kiwis are hesitant to get the Covid-19 booster.

    Below is an update of the booster coverage rate as at 11:59pm 20 March 2022. With the changes to the traffic light system, there will be relaxed public health measures but it may mean different things for different geographical areas, age groups, health status and ethnic groups. Senior residents and those with chronic conditions or compromised immunity should be urged to have the booster as soon as possible, as they are most vulnerable with a high risk of severe disease even deaths.

    Booster coverage rate by selected ethnicity groups, nation-wide, as at 20 March 2022

    Ethnic group

    65+ yrs (%)

    50-64 yrs (%)

    Asian overall

    80

    78

    Chinese

    74

    66

    Middle Eastern

    75

    63

    Maori

    87

    67

    Pacific overall

    79

    72

    Tongan

    72

    67

    All ethnic groups

    89

    75


    - Lifeng Zhou

    Asian Caucus Chair

  • 18 Mar 2022 5:51 PM | Anonymous

    The National Public Health Advocacy Team was established by DHB Chairs and Chief Executives at the beginning of 2020 to address the structural and commercial determinants of health – specifically relating to alcohol-related harm, obesity, and smoking – in order to keep people well and reduce the burden on our health service, help eliminate health inequities, and make it easier for New Zealanders to live longer and healthier lives. 

    Our small team utilise strategic communications to secure public and cross-party support for a more assertive national policy along with smart regulation and legislation. Our priorities for 2021/22 are:

    • Advocate to central government for evidence-based policies to reduce obesity and support healthy food environments
    • Develop and implement a campaign to review and strengthen the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012
    • Support DHBs to achieve the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Goal

    The prevalence of smoking, obesity and alcohol-related harm are significantly higher amongst Māori and Pacific than the rest of the population and are major drivers of inequities. The Crown’s failure to protect Maori from preventable disease is also a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as set out in the Wai 2575 claim and other Waitangi tribunal claims such as Wai 2624 in relation to alcohol.

    The National Public Health Advocacy Team invites feedback from PHA members and would welcome a collaborative approach. We are particularly interested in hearing from the Māori caucus to see if the mahi we are focussed on is one that you are supportive of. 

    - Dr Rob Beaglehole
    Rob.Beaglehole@nra.health.nz


  • 18 Mar 2022 5:12 PM | Anonymous

    Living in Peace: a fundamental determinant of health

    On the 24th of February 2022, Russia instigated an unwarranted and callous war on Ukraine. No longer can people in Ukraine live in peace – a fundamental determinant of living a healthy life. They have been forced into war, and there are no winners in war.

    The Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHANZ) is unreservedly opposed to the war on Ukraine and we are looking for pragmatic ways to be of service to Ukraine during their time of need. Through our research, we have gathered information from both Ukrainian and Russian sources on how we, the people of New Zealand, can be of help.

    Here is a summary of what we found:

    EDUCATE YOURSELF – ignorance is not bliss

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, some 17 thousand kilometres from Ukraine, many of us may have been unaware of the rising tension that had been building between Russia and Ukraine and the reasons behind this. On our remote island, we have no experience of being a bordered nation and the blurring of cultures that happen around the edges, nor what it must be like to live next to Vladimir Putin’s Russia. But it’s time to respect the situation and get up to speed. If you haven’t already, you can now find many articles, videos, and podcasts dedicated to explaining the history of Ukraine and the Soviet Union, and the reasons Putin invaded another nation. We need to respect the gravity of the situation and the first step in doing that is to understand the history, Ukraine’s precarious position between Europe and Russia, who are the players in this, and what are Putin’s motives.


    SPREAD THE TRUTH – unravelling years of disinformation

    Propaganda is defined as “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view”. Under Putin’s rule, the people of Russia have been subjected to 20 years of mind-bending propaganda. Disinformation is not new. Russians have been told lies and are still are being told lies about the war, or as Putin calls it “a special military operation.” The technology being used to spread disinformation is getting more convincing and harder to detect. People opposed to the war on Ukraine are being urged to spread the truth on social media. Perhaps this could drown out the fake news or find its way to the people in Russia that may be unsure what to believe. Though we have seen some Russians protesting against the war, and assume there must be more that share the same belief (but are understandably afraid to come out), there are others that think it is a good idea to keep NATO’s forces away from Russia. Then there are some that just don’t know what to think, which is completely understandable when disinformation is a regular part of your society. As one blogger put it “imagine if every person in the world told you that the snow is green. Sooner or later, you’d start believing it, feeling guilty for ever thinking otherwise. You’d block away any doubt because fear of embarrassment and shame would overweigh the need for accuracy”. So share, tweet, post, blog, TikTok or whatever. Social media can be a powerful tool when used well and Russians against the war are asking you to amplify the truth to drown out the disinformation.

     

    GET ACTIVE – challenge and protest, peacefully

    Show your solidarity to the people of Ukraine and peacefully protest, whether that be in-person or online. As world leaders react to the war, we should be urging them to do all within their power to help Ukraine. In Aotearoa, parliament unanimously passed the following sanctions on Russia – but were they enough? And how effective are sanctions like this anyway?

    Well, sanctions have worked before. In South Africa for example, anti-apartheid groups rallied for punitive economic sanctions, boycotting South African products and the like. Ultimately leading to enough societal pressure to end South Africa’s racially oppressive system. But will sanctions work in Russia to stop a war, and stop it soon? History tells us that it will take time and effective protests must involve at least 3.5% of the population, and in Russia’s case that equates to about 5.08 million people. That’s not impossible, but it is difficult to imagine 5 million people in Russia providing an organised resistance against the war, particularly when such strict penalties apply. On the other hand, the international sanctions placed on Russia may have some impact on wealthy Russian oligarchs, men who carry some political weight in Russia, friends of Putin and the like. It will be interesting to see how the sanctions play out – some suggest that Russia is hurting but is unlikely to be enough for the narcissist Putin to step back. He would never want to appear weak or defeated and current negotiations between the two nations are difficult at best.

     

    DONATE

    If possible for you, donating money is another way that you can help Ukraine. The humanitarian aid needed on the ground in Ukraine, the immense displacement of Ukrainians, refugees now fleeing their loved country to find peace elsewhere, are just the start of what healing from this war will look like. A lot of people will be needing help and there are many agencies you can engage with to financially support these causes.

     

    PUT PLANS IN PLACE FOR THE UNTHINKABLE – a nuclear winter

    A nuclear disaster, the imminent threat of nuclear war, and the after-effects on our planet. I have a real mental disconnect when thinking about this. I don’t want to believe that it’s possible even when I know that it is. Nuclear winter describes the hypothetical phenomenon that a nuclear disaster will have on the climate in the short and longer term. It is hypothesised that there would be cascading impacts on the planet, such as widespread firestorms leading to severe and prolonged climatic cooling as well as devastating impacts on the ozone and biodiversity. Our climate targets will mean nothing if the planet is irreparably damaged by a severe nuclear disaster. So, now is the time to plan for such a scenario. It may seem over-dramatic, planning for such a disaster (though the current pandemic may say otherwise) but do we really want to be caught unprepared? Putin cannot be trusted to hold the planet’s best interests at heart - we should be planning for the worst and doing all we can to oppose a nuclear war.

     

    ADVOCATE FOR AN END TO ALL WARS

    Unfortunately, Putin’s war on Ukraine is not the only conflict happening in the world right now or in recent times. The Middle East has been afflicted with what seems like endless wars and humanitarian disasters. Understandably, comparisons are being made between the widespread coverage of the situation in Ukraine, the urgency to act and support their refugees, and how the world has typically reacted to wars in the Middle East. But is it helpful right now to say let’s help Ukraine but why didn’t you do something about Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan… etc? PHANZ caught up with Natalia who is a Russian New Zealander, and to that question “Why didn’t you do something about…” she says – “you’re right. I am human and we have weaknesses and strengths. And one of our strengths is the ability to recognise when something is wrong and try to right it. Let’s make this point the turning point. Let’s stop ALL WARS. Let’s admit that we didn’t care much about other wars when we should have. Let’s feel fragile and scared, scared for the lives of our children. And let this make us strong to stand up and demand to STOP ALL WARS.”

    Living in peace is a fundamental determinant of health. All wars must be stopped.


  • 17 Mar 2022 12:46 PM | Anonymous

    Interview with Sione Tu’itahi, Executive Director for the Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand on the Geneva Charter for Well-being 

    In December last year a senior leadership team of the Health Promotion Forum of NZ (HPF) and its collaborators joined over 5000 participants at a global health promotion conference who met virtually and in Geneva, Switzerland and agreed on the Geneva Charter for Wellbeing.  

    The 10th World Health Organization (WHO) Global Conference on Health Promotion marked the start of a global movement on the concept of well-being in societies and the Charter highlighted the need for global commitments to achieve equitable health and social outcomes now and for future generations, without destroying the health of our planet.  

    PHANZ caught up with HPF’s Executive Director Sione Tu’itahi to find out more about the Charter and its key elements, such as the inclusion of the knowledge and leadership of Indigenous peoples, the contribution made by the HPF team to the Charter and its relevance to Aotearoa New Zealand.  

     

    PHANZ: The 10th World Health Organization (WHO) Global Conference on Health Promotion which was held virtually and in Geneva last December has been hailed as marking the start of a global movement on the concept of well-being in societies? How did you and the rest of the HPF senior leadership team and contributors find the experience of participating in this conference? 

    Sione: Our team was delighted and humbled by the invitation from WHO for the Health Promotion Forum (HPF) to offer a workshop on planetary health and indigenous knowledge at this world conference.  

    For HPF the invitation reflected on the close working relationship that we have built with WHO since the 2019 World Conference on Health Promotion that HPF co-hosted with the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) in Rotorua. Our theme of Waiora: promoting planetary health and sustainable development for all was very timely. Planetary health is the most significant health challenge in the world today. And we advocated for the role of indigenous peoples and their co-leadership in that conference. The WHO delegation at the conference were very impressed with our work, hence the invitation to contribute to their 2021 conference. 

    PHANZ: What are some of the key elements of the Charter that are of direct relevance to Aotearoa New Zealand and how much of a role did you and the rest of the team play in contributing to the Charter. I believe you played a key role in getting an acknowledgement of the spiritual dimension of well-being included in the Charter. Why is this element so important? 

    Sione: All delegates to the WHO conference were given the opportunity to contribute to the Charter. On behalf of our team, I contributed the concepts of planetary health, indigenous knowledge, the spiritual dimension of well-being, taking a systems-approach and elevating the consciousness and perspective to a one-world society, rather than viewing the health challenges from an individual state level.  These ideas were well received by some members of the drafting team of the Charter, who came back to me for some refinement.  Some of the ideas I contributed were also reinforced by one of the members of our Global Working Group on Waiora Planetary Health at IUHPE. So, it was a good team effort. 

    The Geneva Charter for Well-being is of significant and direct relevance to Aotearoa New Zealand for a number of reasons. First, the Geneva Charter builds on the 1986 Ottawa Charter. In our country, health promotion is based on the Ottawa Charter and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Second, the Geneva Charter points out planetary health as one of the major health challenges for humanity today. Third, it acknowledges that Indigenous peoples and their knowledge can contribute solutions. Fourth, the charter broadens our understanding of health and well-being to include physical, mental, social, economic, ecological, and spiritual wellbeing.  There are other important aspects of the charter for New Zealand, but these are some to start with. 

    PHANZ: It’s so encouraging to see the inclusion of the knowledge and leadership of Indigenous peoples as a key element of the Charter. Do you see this as a ‘breakthrough’ especially when it comes to planetary health?  

    Sione: Including the last two dimensions of ecological and spiritual wellbeing in the Geneva Charter is quite a milestone achieved, especially from an Indigenous perspective. It means, among other things, our human family now can see the inherent oneness and interdependence of all aspects of life, and that our environment or Mother Nature is one with us. So, there cannot be human well-being without planetary well-being.  

    It is heartening and encouraging to see the Charter acknowledging the leadership of Indigenous peoples and the stewardship on sustaining the well-being of the planet and the environment. This is something that Indigenous leaders and their co-workers across the world have been advocating for over many decades as part of seeking the human rights, to stop racism and colonisation, raising their concerns at a number of international platforms such as the United Nations and its many agencies. We have come a long way and many initiatives are now in place to address these concerns, but we still have a long way to go at both national and global levels.  

    Meanwhile, the Geneva Charter provides an opportunity, and while it comes with a huge responsibility, I am sure Indigenous peoples across the world, together with their colleagues and co-advocates, will rise to the challenge. And I am sure we here in Aotearoa will continue to play a leading role. 

    PHANZ: Past epidemics, and the current Covid-19 pandemic have shown us the importance of resilient health systems. How much of an impact will the Charter, which focuses on a ‘wellbeing society’ and what needs to be done in order to better prevent and respond to the multiple health and ecological crises we face globally, have on our response to any future outbreaks/pandemics?   

    Sione: While not entirely new, the concept of a ‘well-being society’ is a more recent framing in different parts of the world. And while it manifests in different forms across diverse contexts and levels, it has some core elements that the Geneva Charter outlines. Among these elements is a more comprehensive understanding of health and well-being which I mentioned earlier – from physical and mental to social, economic, ecological, and spiritual. Health is not just physical and GDP. We must include the well-being of the planet and make sure all our human systems and activities are contained within the sustainability capacity of the planet. We have overstepped this planetary capacity and that is why we are facing global challenges such as pandemics, floods, global warming, and melting of polar ice. In other words, promoting well-being societies is a health promotion response to these challenges. It was heartening to see at the conference that New Zealand and a few other countries were commended for using the well-being approach and therefore are doing well in advancing the holistic wellbeing of their respective countries. 

     

    PHANZ: According to WHO the Charter will drive policymakers and world leaders to globally commit to achieving equitable health and social outcomes now and for future generations, without destroying the health of our planet. This sounds positive, but how do we get them to ‘commit to concrete’ action? 

    Sione:  My take is that the Charter is a call for a societal approach at the global level and down to the local level. It provides a road map for institutions, communities, and individuals to do their part in our collective responsibility in creating a society that is healthy, peaceful, and prosperous, and where power and resources are distributed in equitable ways for the well-being of all at the global level, and down to the local level.  

    The Charter has outlined a pathway with five areas for action, similar to the framework of the Ottawa Charter. It requires a lot of study and application over the next few years. Similar to the gains made by the Ottawa Charter in informing and driving initiatives across the world to improve the health and well-being of societies, the Geneva Charter can do the same and more.  

    It can do more because the challenges of today are different from those in the 1980s. Also, we have learned over the intervening years that some of our human systems such as capitalism and neo-liberalism, colonisation, racial and gender prejudice, other forms of discrimination, and exploiting the environment are not working and we are suffering.  

    Today the environment is top of the agenda in all international meetings from the World Economic Forum to the UN. One can observe the same at the national level. World leaders are now taking health and well-being more seriously because they now see the inter-connectedness between pandemics, the economy, the environment, and geo-politics. In other words, all the determinants of health are connected as part of a whole system. Therefore, we must take a systems and eco-social approach.  

    More importantly, we need to elevate our consciousness to think and act for the well-being of the human family, not just one’s country. To use an analogy, our home planet is on fire. Focusing on our individual country room is a sure recipe for more catastrophes for all.  Self-interest is a luxury we can no longer afford. And the spiritual dimension of well-being reminds us that our relationship with our fellow human beings, and our planet must be ethical and spiritual if we are to flourish individually and collectively.  

     

    LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GENEVA CHARTER FOR WELLBEING 

    Join Sione and a panel of experts at a webishop to explore and discuss the potentials of the 'Geneva Charter for Wellbeing' to inform health promotion in Aotearoa in the next few decades on April 7 from 11am. The panel comprises Dr Mihi Ratima, a leading academic in Māori public health and Kaupapa Māori research and HPF’s Deputy Executive Director Leanne Eruera, both of whom spoke at the conference.  

    Register HERE or email emma@hauora.co.nz for more details. 

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