The failed war on drugs and cannabis referendum 2020: What reforms are possible in its aftermath?
By Joseph Boden “We will begin to make real progress when we realise that the War on Drugs has been a complete failure and damaging to our society, and that significant changes in our attitudes and laws are needed to begin to deal with drugs as a health issue,...
Is New Zealand ready for a COVID-19 vaccine? 🔊
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the world is racing to create a viable vaccine to help control the spread of the virus. Is New Zealand ready for a vaccine? How will it be rolled out? And how effective will it be? Jemima Huston spoke to University of Otago...
Can COVID misinformation cost lives? 🔊
Misinformation is rampant about COVID-19, and in some cases, it has caused death, blindness, emergency health issues, widespread stigma, and social ostracization. Holly Seale and Md. Saiful Islam were part of a team that studied the rumors, conspiracies, and...
Is the World Health Organization still fit for purpose?
By Ben Goldson Once capable of taking a leading role in the fight against disease, the World Health Organization has struggled to replicate its early successes in recent decades, including in its response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, following...
Can New Zealand keep coronavirus out?
By Michael Plank, Alex James, Audrey Lustig, Nicholas Steyn, Rachelle Binny & Shaun Hendy Stringent border controls and mandatory quarantine give New Zealand a good chance to remain free of COVID-19 for months to come, according to our latest modelling. It’s been...
Can COVID-19 help us get ready for the next pandemic?
By David Murdoch COVID-19 is being referred to as a “once in a century event” – but the next pandemic is likely to hit sooner than you think. In the next few decades, we will likely see other pandemics. We can predict that with reasonable confidence because of the...
Can you trust a robot?
By Gilbert Wong Robot caregivers can help maintain independence as we age, but the trick is getting humans to trust them. It will not surprise those with a pessimistic view of humanity to know that even robots suffer racial prejudice. In a study by German researchers...
Why are COVID-19 infection rates so different across countries?
By Philip Hill One of the interesting features of the COVID-19 pandemic is the different incidence rates of the disease and the different mortality percentages, across countries. There are several possible reasons for this. Firstly, the capacity and policies around...
Are Māori and Pasifika communities more at risk from COVID-19? 🔊
Last week, Te Pūnaha Matatini released a report relating to the infection fatality rate of COVID-19. The report stated, “the communities at the highest risk will be those with elderly populations, and Māori and Pasifika communities, where the compounded effects...Subscribe by Email
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