Media Releases – NZ Ministry of Health

• Celebrating Allied Health Professionals
  News article13 October 2023Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health is taking the opportunity of International Allied Health Professionals Day tomorrow to thank the many hauora haumi | allied health workers of New Zealand for their invaluable contributions to the health sector and to everyday New Zealanders.  Hauora haumi covers a wide range of professions, working across […]
• Independent report on black market tobacco trade published
  News article12 October 2023Manatū Hauora today published a report from the University of Auckland into the illicit tobacco trade in Aotearoa New Zealand during 2022. This peer reviewed study uses a range of methods including discarded pack surveys, interviews with NZ Customs, consumption gap analysis and social media surveillance. Overall, it has found evidence from […]
• Pholcodine medicines will not be available from next year
  News article25 September 2023Approval for pholcodine (a medicine found in some cough syrups and lozenges) to be sold in New Zealand will be withdrawn on 12 January 2024. The decision was made on safety grounds as there is a small risk that taking pholcodine may make patients more susceptible to anaphylaxis (a rare but life-threatening […]
• Accelerated silicosis update
  News article25 September 2023Inter-agency work is continuing to address accelerated silicosis, a serious and preventable lung disease. People may develop silicosis from breathing in respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust, which can cause scarring of the lungs. RCS dust is created when materials containing silica, such as engineered stone, are cut, ground, drilled, sanded, polished or […]
• COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 detected in Aotearoa New Zealand
  News article21 September 2023The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) has detected the COVID-19 subvariant BA.2.86 in Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time in wastewater samples taken earlier this month. The subvariant was first detected in late July in Denmark and Israel, and cases have been slowly increasing globally. It has not yet […]
• Patient voice at the heart of the system
  News article15 September 2023World Patient Safety Day’s slogan “Elevate the Voice of Patients” links well with Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health’s priority of putting the patient voice at the heart of the system.  The World Health Organization (WHO)-driven day – this year on Sunday September 17 - is dedicated to the theme “Engaging Patients for […]
• Ministry of Health recognises World Suicide Prevention Day
  News article08 September 2023As we take time to recognise World Suicide Prevention Day on Sunday and think about people and whānau who have been impacted by suicide or self-harm, it is a timely opportunity to take stock of how we communicate about suicide in public fora. The Suicide Prevention Office, based in Manatū Hauora, provides […]
• Changes to opioid prescribing regulations coming into effect on 5 October
  News article08 September 2023Cabinet has approved amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1977 to ensure more appropriate restrictions on the prescribing limits of controlled drugs, such as opioids. These will come into effect on 5 October 2023. The change reduces the maximum limit for all opioid prescriptions from three months to one month and […]
• Five additional ‘Safe Areas’ announced
  News article07 September 2023New ‘Safe Areas’ will be in place around five abortion service providers from 5 October 2023, to protect the safety, wellbeing, privacy and dignity of people who are accessing or providing abortion services.  Safe Areas cover up to 150 metres around a premises where abortion services are provided. They prohibit certain behaviours […]
• New adverse reactions database will improve and modernise safety monitoring
  Media release05 September 2023Work is now complete on a new state of the art digital database to record details of all adverse reactions to medicines reported to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM). The new database will be jointly run by CARM and Medsafe. “This new digital technology presents the opportunity to transform our […]