Help tackle stigma and support those with HIV on World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day on 1st December is a chance to remember those we’ve lost, stand up to HIV stigma and celebrate how far we’ve come. HIV is an illness like any other, and nobody is to blame for contracting HIV. People living with HIV can lead long and healthy lives. If they are on effective […]

Get protected with cervical screening

September is Cervical Screening Awareness Month. You should have regular screening tests if you have a cervix (including trans or non-binary people), are between 25 and 69 and have ever been sexually active. The current test for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV), and there are two ways you can have the test: A vaginal […]

Know the signs of stroke: Think FAST

Around 24 New Zealanders have a stroke each day – about six of those are aged under 65. A stroke will strike suddenly. Damage will move through the brain fast. But you can help if you know the signs to look for, and think and act fast. FACE – Is their face drooping on one […]

Health risks of nitrates in drinking water

Nitrate (NO3) is a compound that is formed when nitrogen combines with oxygen. Sometimes high amounts of nitrate get into drinking water. Typical sources of nitrate include: fertilisers, animal wastes, particularly in areas of intensified farming, unreticulated sewage disposal systems, and industrial and food processing waste. Nitrate is highly soluble in water, making it readily transported through […]

Smokefree Social Housing Toolkit: a guide for creating smokefree policies

Community and Public Health (as a member of Smokefree Canterbury) has developed a Toolkit to assist social housing providers to implement smokefree policies in social housing settings. Improving population health has increasingly become a shared goal across many sectors including social housing. A smokefree social housing policy can result in win-wins for tenants, housing providers, […]