Three New Zealanders are dying every week from preventable drug overdoses, with new figures revealing 169 accidental deaths in 2025 and a disturbing increase in hospitalisations linked to methamphetamine and cocaine. A new report from the New Zealand Drug Foundation paints a troubling picture of a decade of preventable deaths, growing stimulant use and persistent…

Aotearoa has the third-highest obesity rate in the OECD, with public health researchers warning that government inaction on unhealthy food environments is contributing to rising rates of chronic disease and placing more than $2 billion in annual costs on the health system. A new briefing from the Public Health Communication Centre (PHCC), hosted by the…

Te Puni Kōkiri has moved to clarify who is responsible for delivering Government-funded Whānau Ora services across Aotearoa following recent media coverage linking a petition concerning the Tino Rangatiratanga flag to the former Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency. The Ministry of Māori Development says the current Whānau Ora commissioning arrangements have been in place since 1…

More than 615,000 New Zealanders are preparing to take part in a nationwide earthquake and tsunami drill this Wednesday, October 21, as emergency authorities urge whānau, schools, workplaces and communities to practise the actions that could save their lives. The National Emergency Management Agency, Te Rākau Whakamarumaru (NEMA), is holding its annual New Zealand ShakeOut…