A Southland father with terminal bowel cancer hopes to trigger a citizens-initiated referendum to reform cancer care in New Zealand. Blair Vining was diagnosed with stage four cancer last October. He has launched a petition calling for the creation of a national cancer agency with oversight of care
Strikes by junior doctors this year have cost district health boards more than $19 million and there’s no end in sight. Members of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) have held five strikes since mid-January in a row with their employers over proposed changes to their now-lapsed employment contra
An outbreak of measles in Canterbury has prompted huge demand for vaccinations, but what is the disease and how serious is it really? This Q&A explainer lays out the facts … What is measles? Measles is one of the most infectious contagious disease known, infecting children as well as adults via coug
A study by researchers from Statens Serum Institut (SSI) once again invalidates the claim that the MMR vaccine increases children’s risk of developing autism. The study results are timely because Europe is currently witnessing a tripling of measles cases in just one year. For more than 20 years, cla
Hundreds of Tiwai staff and their families will take off the high vis and put on their running shoes, to take part in the annual ICC Surf to City on Sunday. About 300 people have signed up from the New Zealand Aluminium Smelters’ Tiwai site, a mixture of staff and their families. It’s believed to […
Comedian turned mental health advocate Mike King has been crowned Kiwibank New Zealander of the year. Mr King is an outspoken advocate for changing attitudes toward mental illness. Through his work with the Key to Life charity, last year he led a New Zealand speaking tour from Bluff to Cape Reinga,
Southern DHB is getting behind World Antibiotic Awareness Week this week and encouraging people to think about how they may use antibiotics better. The DHB wants to get the message across that antibiotic resistance caused by the misuse or overuse of antibiotics is one of the biggest threats to globa
It’s Cervical Screening Awareness Month and all Southern women who are due, overdue, or who have never had a smear test are urged to get tested. During Cervical Screening Awareness Month, the DHB is encouraging women to bring a friend along, book a back-to-back ‘buddy’ appointment and support each o
