It takes less than 30 seconds each week to help track flu and COVID-19 in your local area. 

FluTracking is a simple email survey system that harnesses the power of the internet and community spirit for monitoring influenza and COVID-19.

By taking part, you’ll not only be contributing to scientific research, but you'll also be helping to track influenza and COVID-19 in your local community and nation-wide. 

Over the 17 years the survey has been running in Australia, and now 5 years in Aotearoa New Zealand, it's grown to have 110,000 participants every week who have collectively completed over 23.2 million surveys!

The main aims of FluTracking are to develop a system that can provide:

• community level influenza-like and COVID-like illness surveillance
• consistent monitoring of influenza and COVID-19 activity across all regions and over time, and
• year-to-year comparison of the timing, attack rates, and seriousness of COVID-19 and influenza in the community.

Whether you're vaccinated or not, FluTracking needs you, especially families of young children in Aotearoa, who'd be willing to help track flu and COVID-19.

You'll get a weekly report so you'll be up-to-date with any flu and COVID in your area.

Get more information and sign up to FluTracking today.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora senior doctors who are members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) seem set to go ahead with strike action this Thursday 1 May for 24 hours from 12.01am to 11.59pm.

To maintain patient safety, some clinics will be closed and planned care appointments are being postponed.  All impacted patients are being directly contacted by their hospital.

Health New Zealand has the following advice for patients:

• All emergency departments will remain open, and hospital patients will receive safe care.
• Some scheduled outpatient appointments or treatment will continue unless people are contacted and told that there will be a change.
• People with non-urgent ailments or injuries are encouraged to contact their GP in the first instance.
• Anyone unsure about whether they need emergency department care should contact their GP or call Healthline 0800 611 116 for free advice.

Remember Healthify is here for you with quick links to:

• Where to go for healthcare across Aotearoa
• Common symptoms and what to do
• Cold, the flu or COVID-19?
• First aid topics
• All about telehealth
• Search any condition or topic in our Health A–Z section
• Read about your prescribed medicine
• Find a support group or service in your area.

Image credit: NZ Police

The pineapple flavoured Rinda-brand lollies are actually blocks of methamphetamine, with each 3 gram lolly containing the equivalent of about 300 doses of methamphetamine which is potentially fatal.

According to Radio New Zealand, between 300 and 400 families had received parcels since July and were being contacted by Auckland City Mission.

You can watch the press conference held by Auckland City Mission about this issue, on Radio New Zealand's website.

Read more about methamphetamine addiction and treatment on Healthify.

Source: Radio New Zealand.

Meet our community engagement and equity lead, Frances King.

 Q. Tell us a little about your role at Healthify/HNCT and your background.

Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi
Ko Whānau a Ruataupare te hapu
No Tokomaru Bay ahau

I graduated as a Registered Comprehensive Nurse 30 years ago and have experience in both NGO and DHB health including leadership, management, primary care, specialising in child and youth mental health/mental health services.

I have a passion for rural health, services for Māori and underserved communities to support building positive futures. 

I started working for HNCT as a project manager for self-management support for long term conditions in May 2023. Since then, I have increased my role to include community engagement and equity lead for the Trust, management of our WOVEN team and establishment of a Cultural Advisory Group.

Q. Why are you interested in supporting Healthify / why were you drawn to HNCT and Healthify?

I support the community to learn about Healthify, so whānau can easily access good quality health information that's relevant to them at a time that they may need it.

Q. Tell us something about yourself that people might not know but be interested to learn.

I'm an outdoorsy person that likes hunting, fishing and gardening to provide for my whānau. I enjoy teaching my Moko how to live off the land and look after it.

Q. Tell us a little about your clinical background.

I have been a registered dietitian for 17 years and have worked in New Zealand, Australia and the UK with a diverse range of populations. Most of my experience has been in public health and community nutrition where I've worked on the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes targeting the prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. More recently I have been involved in nutrition and health policy and leading the development of population health guidelines.

Q. Why are you interested in supporting Healthify through reviewing?

Healthify is one of the most important and highly regarded health resources in NZ and being on the team of reviewers means I can help to ensure the content is evidence-based, up-to-date and relevant to the New Zealand context. The science will continue to change and evolve, and good information is important for everyone no matter where they are on their health journey.

Q.  What are some of your key considerations when reviewing Healthify’s online content?

I always think about distilling content into 2-3 key messages and carefully consider how I frame messages so that they're positive and empower people to change their behaviour. When it comes to nutrition, instead of highlighting foods to avoid (which I don’t think is very helpful) I prefer to give practical ideas, swaps and tips that are accessible and help people put the advice into practice.

Q. Tell us something about yourself that people might not know but be interested to learn.

I love science but most people wouldn’t know I come from a creative family and have a background in art, music and painting. One of my part-time first jobs was as a professional face and body painter. I have painted many faces but also pregnant bellies!

Q. Tell us a little about your clinical background.

I've been a general physician for 30 years having trained and worked in the US before coming to New Zealand in 2005. I worked for 15 years at Auckland Hospital before moving to Middlemore Hospital as well as working as a telehealth physician. I have also been heavily involved in medical education for my entire career as well.

Q. Why are you interested in supporting Healthify through reviewing?

One of the most important aspects of caring for people is being able to translate “medical-ese” into plain, old English. Understanding relevant medical topics, even just a bit, can empower someone to work with their doctors to achieve the best health outcomes.

Q.  What are some of your key considerations when reviewing Healthify’s online content?

The information presented must be accurate, up to date, and presented in a way that is easy to understand. I also like to include links to other sources that can help users find more detailed information if they’re interested.

Q. Tell us something about yourself that people might not know but be interested to learn.

I have been writing poetry (and the occasional short story) for years and have published widely, both in the US and here in New Zealand, including 4 books of poetry. I am currently thinking about churning out a fifth!

HPV testing is a better first screening test. It looks for the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cell changes that may lead to cervical cancer.

Free screening is now available for:

• women and people with a cervix 30 years and over who are unscreened (have never had a screening test) or under-screened (haven’t had a test in the past 5 years)
• anyone requiring follow up
• Māori and Pacific
• anyone who is a community service card holder.

Read more about cervical screening:

• Cervical screening (whakamātautau waha kōpū) is a test that looks for abnormal changes to the cells of the lower end of your uterus (cervix).
• Since 12 September 2023 the test has changed from a cervical smear test to human papilloma virus (HPV) screening of cells collected with a vaginal swab.
• A cervical smear test is still available if preferred.
• It's an important test for anyone with a cervix who is aged between 25 and 69 years and has ever had any sexual contact.
• Treatment can be given before the abnormal cells develop into cancer.

References

1. Cervical screening options Time to screen, NZ

Health Coalition Aotearoa has published a recent study of New Zealand beverage purchases. It shows that the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks remains high, accounting for a third of the average household drinks budget. This has prompted renewed calls for a sugary drinks tax.

The University of Auckland study assessed annual household purchases of beverages from 2015 to 2019 and found the slight reduction in the amount spent on sugary drinks over the period represented 1 teaspoon of sugar per person, per week on average – not nearly enough to result in health improvements.

Key findings:

• The study found the average household bought 72.3 litres of sugar-sweetened beverages in 2019 – or a third of the total household drinks budget. This was a reduction of 5.9 litres from 78.2 litres in 2015.
• The reduction in sugar equated to 11 grams or 2 ¾ teaspoons of sugar per household, per week (less than 1 teaspoon of sugar per person).
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per person, per day.

By comparison, the UK’s soft drink industry levy resulted in a reduction of 30 grams, around 7 ½ tsp of sugar per household, per week in the first year, based on similar household purchasing data.

Heart Foundation Senior Fellow Dr Helen Eyles said the UK tax was most effective because it was designed to target manufacturers and consumers.

"With a well-designed tax, like the tiered approach they have used in the UK, manufacturers are dropping the amount of sugar because the more sugar, the more tax you pay. It means even if consumers don’t change their habits, they will still be consuming less sugar because the product has changed."

Health Coalition Aotearoa food policy expert panel co-chair Sande Gates said New Zealand urgently needed to catch up with around 45 other countries that have implemented a sugary drinks tax and provided strong evidence the measure would effectively reduce free sugar consumption.

For more information contact:
Faye Langdon | Acting Executive Director, Health Coalition Aotearoa
Email: media@healthcoalition.org.nz

Learn more on Healthify about:

• sugary drinks
• healthy drinks for kids
• how to cut down on sugar
• water.

Since the start of 2024 until 8 March, there have been 262 cases across Aotearoa New Zealand notified to public health services, compared to a 5-year average of 81 cases over the same time period.

So far this year, 83% of cases have been among people living in urban areas, primarily within Auckland, the Waikato, and Canterbury. 

What is cryptosporidium?

• Cryptosporidium (commonly called crypto) is a parasite found in the gut of infected people and animals.
• It's widespread in Aotearoa New Zealand. The parasites can live in the environment for long periods, especially in water in lakes, rivers, streams and roof water.
• People infected with crypto usually get symptoms of gastroenteritis, eg, smelly, watery or runny poo. Some people can get very sick from crypto.
• People and animals can carry and spread the infection even if they don’t have symptoms.

To protect yourself from cryptosporidiosis and prevent others getting it:

• practice good hand hygiene
• ensure children with diarrhoea symptoms are kept away from school or early learning services for at least 48 hours
• stay away from swimming pools, splash pads and other recreational facilities for at least 2 weeks after experiencing diarrhoea symptoms
• check recreational water quality monitoring websites regularly.

Healthcare providers and public health services across the motu have been asked to complete case reports for crypto cases. The National Public Health Service has also increased disease surveillance across the country to closely monitor crypto notifications and the spread of the disease.

Note: if you have cryptosporidium you can continue to spread it for up to 2 weeks after other symptoms have resolved. So it's particularly important that you stay away from recreational swimming facilities for at least 2 weeks after having diarrhoea.

A similar situation is occurring in Australia, and it's suspected the increase is linked to the recent warmer climate and increased rates of recreational swimming. There's no risk from public drinking water supplies.

For more information, visit: Cryptosporidiosis – Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

Q. Tell us a bit about your clinical background.

I've been a pharmacist for 28 years, mostly in hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom. I've also worked closely with Community Pharmacies and General Practices in Auckland to improve the safe use of medicines, and spent some time in the Netherlands working as a medical writer. I've been reviewing medicine pages on Healthify (formerly Health Navigator) for 8 years.

Q. Why are you interested in supporting Healthify through reviewing?

I believe it's our role as health professionals to help people understand what medicines they are taking, why they are taking them and what to expect. This will help them to make informed choices about their medicines and their health. 

Q. What are some of your key considerations when reviewing Healthify’s online content?

I always think about how this information would be understood if English was not the reader's first language.

Q. Tell us something about yourself that people might not know but would be interested to learn.

I'm on a mission to complete all of the beautiful Great Walks in Aotearoa, I’m nearly there! The picture above was taken last year on the Humpridge track, near Tuatapere in the South Island.

Talavou o le Moana presents an overview of the health and wellbeing status of 1,130 Pacific secondary students in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is based on findings from the Youth19 Rangatahi Smart Survey, the latest in the Youth2000 survey series conducted by the Adolescent Health Research Group (AHRG).

It summarises key findings for Pacific secondary school students in the areas of:

• ethnic and gender identity
• family and faith
• socioeconomic environments and housing
• education
• friends and community connections
• physical, mental and sexual health
• substance use
• healthcare access.

This report (published February 2024) gives a vital snapshot into the lives of Pacific young people. Pacific communities are instrumental in shaping Aotearoa New Zealand society now and in the future, especially as close to half (46.1%) of Pacific peoples are under the age of 20 years of age.

Key findings:

• Pacific young people are diverse – half have multiple ethnic identities.
• Most Pacific young people report positive relationships with family members, school and church communities.
• Most Pacific youth are happy, healthy, satisfied with their lives, and making healthy choices.
• However, Pacific young people are having to navigate socioeconomic inequities and injustices that are beyond their control – evident in significant housing and socioeconomic deprivation, clinically significant depressive symptoms, and experiences of racism.
• Pacific students also face major concerns in areas of wellbeing and health risks, particularly mental health, transport incidents, accessing healthcare and sexual health.

Talavou o le Moana highlights the strength and resiliency of Pacific secondary school students in Aotearoa New Zealand as well as the complexities they experience. 

While Pacific students are thriving and connected in many areas of life, including family, schools and church, many are simultaneously having to navigate the harsh realities associated with deprivation, poverty and racism. These factors can have significant and detrimental impacts on health and wellbeing across the lifespan. For example, Pacific students from neighbourhoods with greater disadvantage and hardship were less likely to report that they had opportunities to show their talents and skills, compared to students from wealthier neighbourhoods.

Read the full Talavou o le Moana report.

We asked Jaime Christmas from the Health Navigator Charitable Trust’s Whānau Ora Voices of Experience Network (WOVEN) about her lived experience, why Rare Disorder Month is so important and what you do on 29 February.

"As a caregiver who was there with my late husband, who was diagnosed with ATTR Amyloidosis, this day is somewhat bittersweet for me.

Aubrey and I were married for almost 26 years, and he passed on May 22, 2022.

On the one hand, I understand the importance of recognising this day for all the lives that have been lost due to the lack of correct diagnosis, treatment and wrap-around support.

On the other hand, as a patient advocate leader for New Zealand Amyloidosis Patients Association, I leverage this day to push for awareness and education. This day provides the platform for me to tell the stories of patients and their families who often find themselves isolated and misunderstood by society.

It isn’t an easily understood ‘disease' space to be in as the illness is uncommon, especially for those with ultra-rare type conditions and diagnosis may not even be readily available, especially in this country.

With Aubrey, his genetic defect caused the misfolding of protein or amyloid. The misfolding turns normal amyloids, which we all carry, into rogue ones that deposit into organ tissues. In the end, his kidneys and heart tapped out. His journey lasted for nine years. In those nine years, we both saw how apathetic people can be about sickness they have not heard of. It’s a case where unless we, or people we love, get stricken we ignore what is out there.

This illiteracy is the bitter bit about Rare Disease Day. I must acknowledge that despite the sheer advocacy work done by people like me, we can feel like fish swimming upstream.  So, if you are reading this article, I do hope that on February 29, you will:

• Spare a quiet moment to pay respects to every man, woman and child who has died in Aotearoa New Zealand from a rare disorder.
• Tell a friend, or research, about a rare disorder.
• Visit Rare Disorders NZ and see how you can help.

As American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead said, "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For indeed, that's all who ever have."

Jaime is the CEO and founder of the New Zealand Amyloidosis Patient Association (NZAPA) and also represents Rare Disorders NZ (RDNZ).

From Thursday 29 February 2024, people who lived in the United Kingdom, France or Republic of Ireland between 1980 and 1996 for 6 months or more during the ‘mad cow' disease outbreak will finally be able to book to donate blood or plasma in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The restriction was implemented in 2000. It was a precautionary measure related to the risk of passing on human variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) via blood or plasma transfusions.

The recommendation from the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) to lift the restriction was approved by Medsafe following a review and detailed risk assessment.

NZBS’ clinical team worked with epidemiology and infectious disease experts at the University of New South Wales Kirby Institute for more than a year to research the risk of vCJD among New Zealand’s blood donor population.

That work showed the risk was negligible and that removing the restriction would not comprise the safety of blood and blood products in New Zealand.

If you were unable to donate blood due to the restriction you'll be able to book an appointment to donate from Thursday 29 February 2024. You can check that you're eligible to donate by answering questions in an online quiz. There may be other reasons why you are unable to give blood or plasma.

A basic eligibility quiz can be found on the NZBS website.

For more information contact the NZ Blood Service.

Read more about blood transfusion on Healthify.

The 2022/23 New Zealand Health Survey results are based on data collected between July 2022 and July 2023. 

We thought you might be interested to read a summary of the results provided by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. You can follow the links to get more information about these aspects of health on the Healthify website.

Key findings show:

• Most adults in New Zealand (86.2%) reported they are in good health, similar to levels reported over the previous five years.
• The rate of hazardous drinking declined from 18.7% in 2021/22 to 16.0% in 2022/23.  Read more about alcohol and harmful drinking.
• Smoking rates continued to decline, with 6.8% of adults being daily smokers in 2022/23, down from 8.6% the previous year and 16.4% in 2011/12. This decline in daily smoking was observed across all ethnic groups recorded in the survey. Daily smoking was more common in adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (10.7%). Read more about quitting smoking.
• The rate of daily vaping increased over the past five years from 2.6% in 2017/18 to 9.7% in 2022/23. Daily vaping was highest among those aged 18–24 years (25.2%), and among Māori (23.5%) and Pacific peoples (18.7%) and also more common in adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (15.8%). Read more about vaping.
• In the four weeks prior to completing the 2022/23 survey, one in five (21.2%) young adults (aged 15–24) experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress. High or very high levels of psychological distress were also more common in disabled adults than in non-disabled adults. Read a selection of topics on mental health for young people.
• Less than half of adults (46.5%) met physical activity guidelines and about one in three adults (32.6%) in New Zealand were classified as obese, a rate that is similar to five years ago.
  Get information about a healthy approach to weight loss.
• More than one in three Māori (35.1%) and Pacific (39.6%) children were living in households where food runs out sometimes or often. Read our series on living well on a budget.
• Over half of children aged four months to less than five years at the time of the survey (58.1%) were exclusively breastfed until four months old. This was the highest rate reported in the last 10 years. Get information and support about breastfeeding.
• Visits to the GP decreased over the last five years, while visits to the emergency department increased. One in five adults (21.2%) and one in seven children (14.8%) experienced ‘time taken to get an appointment was too long’ as a barrier to visiting the GP. Get information about telehealth services and where to go for medical help.

Further information about the New Zealand Health Survey, including previous publications, is available at New Zealand Health Survey.

Reference

Latest New Zealand Health Survey results provide valuable information about the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders Ministry of Health, NZ, 2023

The service, which operates from 5pm to 8am during weekdays, and 24 hours during weekends and on public holidays, can be accessed by patients by calling 0800 2KA ORA (0800 252 672) or via referral from the patient's rural general practice.

The service is available to all people who live rurally (or who are currently visiting a rural area), regardless of whether they are enrolled with a rural practice. 

Patients will be initially triaged by a kaiāwhina or nurse and if needed, referred through to a clinician.

• There is no charge for a nurse consultation, however, a patient co-payment is required if a telehealth consultation with a clinician is needed.
• If a patient has a Community Services Card or is aged over 65 years, they will be charged a lower fee ($19.50).
• There is no charge for children aged under 14 years.

Healthcare from home is now easier for those living rurally.

Read more information about the Ka Ora Telecare service and how to access it.

The Fellowship, an accolade within the HiNZ network, celebrates leaders in health informatics who have showcased remarkable digital and data accomplishments, exhibited exemplary leadership, and rendered invaluable service to New Zealand's health and disability sector.

Dr Bycroft's induction into the Fellowship Programme underscores her pioneering role in advancing digital solutions within healthcare. Her visionary leadership at Health Navigator Charitable Trust and Healthify has been pivotal in shaping the landscape of health information accessibility and innovation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Established in November 2020, the HiNZ Fellowship Programme has steadily grown to encompass over 50 distinguished individuals. Dr Bycroft joins this esteemed cohort, representing the vanguard of professionals steering the integration of technology and healthcare for improved patient outcomes.

Dr Bycroft's recognition as a Fellow solidifies her position as a trailblazer in health informatics and an inspiration to aspiring professionals in the field.

Read more about the work of Health Navigator Charitable Trust.

The New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is calling for adults aged between 16 and 71 years-old, who've recently recovered from chickenpox or shingles to make a blood or plasma donation. Their plasma has special antibodies that could be used to make a lifesaving treatment called Zoster Immunoglobin.

While chickenpox can be mild for some, it has the potential to be life-threatening for others. This includes children with cancer and pregnant women.

If you've recently had shingles or chickenpox, you may be eligible if:

• you're aged between 16 and 71 for new plasma donors (or up to 81 for current plasma donors)
• you weigh at least 50 kgs and are at least 150 cm tall
• you're feeling well
• it's been 4 weeks since the start of your illness
• your rash is dry and clean.

If you'd like to donate, contact NZBS to find out more and take a basic eligibility quiz on the NZ Blood Service website.

Those who have had the shingles/chickenpox vaccine or been in contact with someone who's had shingles or chickenpox within the last 6 months may also be able to help.

(Image credit: Asvmdrn, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Related topics on Healthify

Shingles
Chickenpox
Shingles vaccine (Shingrix)
Chickenpox vaccine

As a Lived Experience Advisor for Collaborative Aotearoa, Merle was recently acknowledged for her whakaaro and contribution to enhancing the Health Care Home Model. Merle was presented with this honour by the outgoing Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall.

Lived experience advisers bring unique perspectives and insights to greatly impact the effectiveness of an organisation's mahi. Whether it's related to mental health, disability, addiction or any other area of our hauora, this firsthand experience helps to understand the needs, concerns and aspirations of the individuals and communities served.

We are also incredibly proud to have Whaea Merle as an adviser for the Health Navigator Charitable Trust WOVEN group. Read more about WOVEN and the WOVEN team, including Merle. 

Congratulations to Whaea Merle Samuels for her ongoing commitment in this space.

Q. Tell us a bit about your clinical background. 

Kaua e mate wheke mate ururoa  

Don't die like an octopus, die like a hammerhead shark.  

Octopus are renowned for their lack of resistance when being captured, however a hammerhead shark will fight bitterly to the end, to the point that when you fillet it fresh, its meat quivers.   
  
This whakatauki sums up we had all fought hard at different times over the last year to keep our Healthify value of Mana Taurite alive.  

Equity in health opportunities and outcomes guides our everyday activities as we work to reach and contribute to all people in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

We must not lose sight of why we come to work every single day. We should all remember why re rebranded, why we sought to put Te Tiriti closer to the centre of all we do. 

Pre 2023, in our beautiful land of Aotearoa, there was a renowned health information platform known as Health Navigator NZ. Although it had been a valuable resource for many, its creators (us) recognised the need for change.  

We aspired to make a platform that was not only inclusive but also readily accessible and easy to use for Māori and Pasifika communities – our website’s primary audiences. We knew if we nailed this for them, we nailed it for Pakeha and tauiwi as well. 

The team embarked on a journey of rebranding, ensuring that the new identity would resonate deeply with the diverse cultures of New Zealand.

We engaged in consultations with community and Māori and Pacific Peoples. Understanding the needs and preferences was crucial in creating a platform that would truly serve to make self-directed learning easier.  

After much collaboration, the decision was made to rebrand as Healthify He Puna Waiora. The new name and logo encapsulated the spirit of our mission, making health simple to understand and wellness an integral part of life.  

We all worked to create a fresh visual identity that paid homage to Māori and Pacific Peoples art and symbolism, reflecting their deep-rooted connection to nature and community.  

When Healthify was unveiled, the response from the primary and tertiary audiences was joyous and positive. The initial response from many in the secondary audience was not! However, kanohi ki te kanohi comments from primary care were more affirming and understanding of what it was we were trying to achieve.  

The platform's user-friendly interface, featuring clear navigation and uncluttered, accessible health information, is so far being appreciated by many including rural Māori.

Internally, the brand change has drawn different opinions but overall there are high hopes that it has fostered a deeper appreciation for the communities we serve.   

We should celebrate the positive impact we are making in people's lives and embrace the responsibility to continually evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of our core audiences.  

The rebranding is part of our transformative journey of cultural understanding leading to autonomy in finding wellness. The platform's success will be measured in the level of trust it gains from Māori and Pasifika communities.   

As Healthify continues to grow, we remain deeply committed to its purpose of serving all people, ensuring that health information is not just accessible but also culturally appropriate for the beautiful tapestry that is Aotearoa New Zealand.  

Next steps!  

The launch campaign was designed first and foremost to let our current users know about the changes and the reasons behind them. Once again we have had to put our energy and resources into reassuring those in privileged positions that what they are using is still trustworthy and complete. We continue on this journey and have made some improvements to the site as a result. 

Where we would like to go now is to strategically engage Māori and Pasifika communities and people living with disability.   

We will use our newsletters, community outreach and social media channels to engage in meaningful conversations. We will grow and evolve our chatbot and create videos featuring community members sharing their health journeys and challenges, making messages relatable and heartfelt.  

We are now seeking feedback from the community, welcoming suggestions and ideas to continually improve. It is essential to maintain an ongoing dialogue and ensure that Healthify is known about and consistently meeting the needs of its primary audience.  

As word spreads throughout the Māori and Pasifika communities, we would like to see a positive impact on traffic and user engagement. We would like to see more and more individuals begin to use Healthify as their go-to resource for health information and self-help resources. We would like see user testimonials flooding in praising the website's approach, cultural sensitivity and relevance to people’s lives.  

Mauri mahi, mauri Ora – do the mahi get the treats!  

Through the work we are doing our whānau, community and our nation prosper.

The COVID-19 pandemic is widely understood to have had a negative effect on equity globally, and an equity adjuster tool has been designed to help address this. 

Navigation teams set up 3 years ago by Te Toka Tumai for Māori and Pacific Peoples patients looked at surgical waitlists and identified some equity issues around access to care. A steering group was created to build an equity adjuster considering 5 key factors. Different weightings are then applied to adjust where someone sits on a surgical waiting list. It’s the clinical service or surgeon who makes the ultimate decision about the waitlist.

The 5 factors are: 

• clinical priority 
• time spent on the waitlist 
• geographic location (isolated areas) 
• ethnicity 
• deprivation level. 

 Pilot studies using the equity adjustment tool at Auckland Hospital’s urology surgical service showed a positive impact on equity.  

The equity adjuster tool is now being used across all surgical services at Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland, including Starship Children’s Hospital. It will soon be rolled-out at Waitematā and Counties Manukau. 

References

1. Auckland algorithm improves equity of waitlists HINZ, 2023 
2. New ranking system prioritising patients on ethnicity to improve equity, experts say Stuff, 2023 

It means that key health sector websites such as Healthify and others can be used, with all data charges being covered by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. Zero Data is available to anyone using a mobile device connected to the Spark, Skinny, One NZ, 2degrees, Warehouse Mobile, Slingshot or Orcon mobile networks. 

How to use Zero Data:

Turn your mobile data on, then go to the Zero Data page. There you can find links for free access from your mobile to a wide range of digital services: 

• Education
• ACC
• Health (including Healthify He Puna Waiora)
• Kainga Ora Homes and Communities 
• Ministry of Justice
• Ministry of Social Development
• Department of Internal Affairs.  

Healthify He Puna Waiora is proud to be part of the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora zero data initiative. Just make sure your mobile data is turned on before you visit Zero Data. You’ll know you’re on Zero Data when you see a green ribbon across the top of the website. 

Note also that Healthify He Puna Waiora is a shielded site, which means you can browse safely, and then remove any trace of visiting us. 

Please note: occasionally, some features on Healthify accessed via Zero Data may not work as intended, such as downloading large files or pdfs. If you have problems accessing any resources or tools please let us know.

References 

1. Zero Data New Zealand government  
2. Minister launches Zero Data and focuses of enabling power of digital at HINZ Summit HINZ, 2023 

New name: Healthify ‒ makes health information simple and more accessible.
New tagline: He Puna Waiora ‒ a spring of knowledge giving life and wellness.

Our new name underlines our commitment to simplifying and enhancing access to health information and self-care resources. Our tagline embodies our vision of being a spring of knowledge, fostering life and wellness.

The changes modernise our much-loved site and increase its accessibility and relevance to a more diverse range of people living in Aotearoa New Zealand.

For over 10 years our content has proven to be trustworthy, with over 1.65 million page views per month, and this move is intended to reach people living in more diverse places and circumstances. Over the last 18 months we listened to priority communities about what would be of most value to individuals and whānau searching for health information online. Feedback and Māori-led agency guidance led to an enhanced user experience on our new website.

Healthify provides easy access to online, plain-language health information and self-care resources. Topics have been reformatted to declutter pages and allow people better control over what they want to see, read and listen to. A clear, consistent look for the entire site will enhance way-finding and bold photographs bring the PC and laptop views to life.

The site meets up-to-date accessibility standards and is fully optimised for mobile. It’s also  part of the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora zero data initiative, which means you can access the site without data and, if you want to remove any trace of visiting us, we have shielded site access, too.

Healthcare providers can continue to use Healthify with patients and customers to enhance shared decision making and find self-management tools. There is a dedicated space for healthcare providers in the website footer.

We're confident you'll love our website's new name, layout and look just as much as our team and whānau and community contacts do.

Read our website story.

A Distinguished Fellowship is the highest honour a GP can receive, with Distinguished Fellows recognised as having made sustained contributions to general practice, medicine, or the health and wellbeing of the community.

A GP for over 28 years with a Master’s in Public Health (Hons), Dr Bycroft is also clinical lead at ProCare Health for Hēre Toitu, a project with the Ministry of Social Development.

She is involved with a number of projects to improve long-term condition management at a local, regional and national level and often presents at various forums. This includes being a member of the national PHO Clinical Leads group, the National Telehealth Clinical Leadership group, Whakarongorau Clinical Advisory Group, and was the primary care clinical lead for the National Shared Care Plan programme from 2010–2014.

Dr Bycroft’s areas of interest include collaborative care, care planning, self-management support, quality improvement, chronic care, digital health, health literacy and integrated care.

Visionary and shining example Award nominator Lynda Gee says: “Janine's tireless efforts, devotion to and involvement in primary care integrated in all her roles as an advocate, visionary, creator, forerunner and national representative can only be described as distinguished amongst us. She is a shining example of what one person can do to improve and service our general practice community and those we serve.”

Wellington Professor of Medicine Rebecca Grainger says Dr Bycroft has showed unparalleled tenacity in following her vision of high-quality health information available freely to all New Zealanders.

“Janine has led a team to provide comprehensive health information resources to all New Zealanders with meticulous attention to all manner of details from content, to usability, to sector engagement, and beyond.

“This is a world class product, which Janine has managed to deliver in an incredibly cost-effective way.

“Janine’s leadership and hard work will have positively impacted on literally hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders via the online provision of health information. “

Auckland doctor Adrienne Mills says: “It is an understatement to say that Healthify is an invaluable tool for general practice.”

“This represents many, many hours of unpaid work in the service of general practice and the health of New Zealanders. It demonstrates cultural inclusivity, mana tangata, foresight and creativity. This one New Zealand doctor has moved mountains and foothills to create a single Everest, relevant and up to date and available to every New Zealander.”

The Healthify NZ website supports GPs on a daily basis as a patient and professional resource. It also supports clinicians with a hub for accessing topical and continuing professional development information, wellness support education, clinical skills and cases references.

The website provides up to date, unbiased, trustworthy, patient-centred health information relevant to the NZ environment in easy to understand formats (written info, links to reputable websites, apps, videos etc), also available in multiple languages.

Healthify (formerly Health Navigator) is a household name for GPs nationally, as well as many other health organisations providing an invaluable source of patient education to direct patients and clinicians alike. In the past month, the website has reputed to have hit 1.8 million views, fuelled by the need for COVID related information.

Dr Bycroft received her top award for GPs at the 2022 Fellowship and Awards Ceremony, held during GP22: the Conference for General Practice in Christchurch.

RNZCGP president Samantha Murton congratulated Dr Bycroft for being recognised by her peers in this way and thanked her for her invaluable contribution to the college and general practice.

“With so much misinformation online, it is so important to have sites such as Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ being kept up to date with science, and evidence-based information that has been reviewed by trained medical professionals.

“The amount of work that goes into the Healthify resource, as well as her GP consultations and research undertakings showcase Dr Bycroft’s dedication to the profession. She is a very deserving recipient of this honour.”

This is the first time common health conditions have been explained in detail in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).

The videos were made with funding from NZ Lotteries and spearheaded by Platform|Atamira Trust’s Deaf Mental Health and Addictions Programme Manager Jo Witko, in partnership with Healthify and Deaf Radio, who undertook the translation process and developed the videos.

“Access to this critical health information been a long time coming, considering NZSL has been an official language since 2006 and more work is needed to ensure equity of access to healthcare for Deaf people’ Ms Witko says.

The videos were released to coincide with New Zealand Sign Language Week, and align with the need for more health information in NZSL.

There are 42 videos covering seven essential health topics and each video is a few minutes long:

• chest pain
• vaccines
• heart disease
• stroke
• diabetes
• asthma
• osteoarthritis.

The health information in the videos has been translated from the Healthify He Puna Waiora New Zealand website.

Real need for health information in NZSL

Former Victoria University lecturer and Deaf Studies researcher David McKee, who is Deaf, was part of the project team set up to develop the videos.

He says it’s great to have Deaf people signing the videos as it is more natural.

“Deaf people have presented the information into New Zealand Sign Language so it’s a really comfortable watch for Deaf people.”

He says there is a real need to provide health information in NZSL.

“For many Deaf people, English is their second language and there is a range of literacy and confidence when reading and writing,” Dr McKee says.

Deaf people face many obstacles when accessing healthcare.

“A lot of Deaf people go to the doctor, and they have to write notes in English because they can’t always get an interpreter, which can result in breakdowns in communication, a loss of confidence and poorer health outcomes.”

Dr McKee says he hopes the videos will give Deaf people confidence and autonomy around managing their health, as well as easy access to important health information.