September 2nd 2010
The problem of HIV/AIDS must be faced in the Pacific
The August meeting of the Pacific Conference of Churches was asked to face and deal with the issue of HIV and AIDS in the Pacific.
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September 2nd 2010
The problem of HIV/AIDS must be faced in the Pacific
The August meeting of the Pacific Conference of Churches was asked to face and deal with the issue of HIV and AIDS in the Pacific.
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August 31st 2010
Samoan worker cares about pie eating friends
Henry Faumuina, a Samoan working for one of New Zealand's best-known pie manufacturers seems to have had a very strange hobby.
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August 31st 2010
AIDS testing now available in Vanuatu
Marina Laklotal, Vanuatu’s HIV/AIDS coordinator, is pleased that the country has obtained equipment to carry out AIDS tests. She said that, in the past, blood samples had to be sent to New Caledonia and Australia.
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August 27th 2010
Maori gains in cancer
A new report on Māori cancer trends by researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington shows progress in some areas, but that there is considerably more to be done to improve Māori health prospects.
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August 26th 2010
Practical Support for a Fiji Village
Two enterprising Hibiscus Coast couples Rex and Lynette Smith from The Serious Fishing Company and Maverix Rods Ltd and Les and Leslie Osbourne of Pyramid Engineering, are assisting in establishing a small poultry operation in Emuri village in Fiji to help villagers become more self sufficient.
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August 25th 2010
New Zealander selected to be Peace Pioneer
20-year-old Fale Andrew Lesa from New Zealand has been selected as one of thirty-five young participants in the 2010 Nkabom Commonwealth Youth Leadership Programme.
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August 25th 2010
Pacific Health Leadership Alumni Programme
I have to say I was immediately struck by the theme of your conference – Aniva – a concept gifted to the programme by Papaäli’ii Dr Semisi Ma’ia’i - a Samoan matai, respected general practitioner and author of the first bilingual Samoan-English dictionary : Tusi’upu Samoa.
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August 23rd 2010
Maori still lagging in Life expectancy
A study which examined the life expectancy of New Zealanders using data collected between 1981 and 2004, showed Maori men made the smallest improvement of all groups.
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August 23rd 2010
Vanuatu must be protected for future generations
Future generations on Vanuatu will miss out if the government moves to allow foreigners easier access to customary land, says the president of Vanuatu’s National Council of Women
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August 19th 2010
Mike King’s Nutters Club goes international
The Nutters Club is a world first. There is nothing else like it anywhere and its success is due to the entertainer, Mike King. Mike doesn't claim to be an expert on mental health, but he has learnt a bit since he began to seek therapy a few years ago.
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August 19th 2010
Cigarettes can be bought in the school ground
In the last 10 years the number of Pacific teenage girls smoking has dropped by two thirds and the number of Pacific boys smoking has been cut by more than half., but smoking it is still the single biggest preventable killer of Pacific people according to a new report.
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August 18th 2010
Rangatahi Court in Session
The Rangatahi Court at Waitara's Owae Marae, designed to bring official Youth Court proceedings to a marae setting is the fifth of its kind in New Zealand
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August 18th 2010
Fiji tops refugee applications for NZ
When the New Zealand’s Refugee Status Appeals Authority released its August annual report, figures showed that Fijian nationals generate the most number of appeals the Authority handles.
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August 17th 2010
1000 Strong Shout for Alcohol Law Reform
Around 1000 people braved Sunday’s weather to attend a public march/rally calling for alcohol law reform in Manukau City – with hundreds marching from three locations across the city.
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August 16th 2010
Exercise and healthy eating helping overweight children
Over $1 million was spent by the Government on the Green Prescription: Active Families programme identifying children at risk from long-term health problems because of their weight
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August 12th 2010
Getting back to food basics
Pacific island countries and areas have committed themselves to making healthier food available and using more local produce in an effort to tackle malnutrition, obesity, and high levels of diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases.
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August 5th 2010
Power for the dads
Watch out ladies - dads are moving into the Group scene. Earlier this year, three dads recognized a gap in community services and set about rectifying the situation.
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Ramene 30 Hongongoi 2010
World Health Organisation warns about tuberculosis control
While there has been significant progress towards the regional goal of decreasing by half TB prevalence and mortality rates compared with 2000 levels, WHO said these successes may be reversed unless gaps in financial and technical support are put in place to effectively address these challenges.
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July 30th 2010
Public must speak out about child abuse
As police investigate how a 12-week-old child got facial injuries, and look at yet another case of a six month old child with severe head injuries, who has subsequently died, a child advocate is calling on family and neighbours to speak out about child abuse.
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Raapa 28 Hongongoi 2010
New Zealanders urged to have a say on the ‘right to housing’
Community Housing Aotearoa has commended the Human Rights Commission for the release of its latest paper reviewing how well the right to housing is observed in New Zealand, its assessment of where New Zealand is falling well short of international standards and key priorities for action.
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Ratu 27 Hongongoi 2010
Manurewa student wins national smokefree competition
17–year-old Manurewa student Jessica Speechlay is one of the winners of a national competition to become part of the youth-focused Smoking Not Our Future campaign.
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July 20th 2010
Tobacco industry hits young Maori smokers
Addressing the Maori Affairs Select Committee inquiry into the tobacco industry today, New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) is calling for stiffer measures to be placed on the tobacco industry and pushing for tighter restrictions on tobacco retailers and continued price hikes to put cigarettes out of the reach of young people.
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July 16th 2010
Obesity and Cancer link
There is a strong causal link between obesity in Asia-Pacific people, and an increased risk of dying from cancer, according to research published in The Lancet Oncology.
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July 16th 2010
Polypill trail to reduce coronary risk
The polypill is an idea which was floated in 2003 to help high risk patients to reduce their chance of heart attack or stroke using one capsule per day instead of multiple medications and a new trial has just now been launched at the University of Auckland
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July 13th 2010
Maori and Pacific Badly Affected by Cost Barriers
Māori and Pacific peoples are particularly badly affected by cost barriers when trying to access medication, according to latest research from the University of Otago, Wellington.
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BLOG
July 13th 2010
Randell’s Revolution
Former All Black Taine Randell has backed a revolutionary high fat, high protein and low carbohydrate diet based on traditional Polynesian food that has seen local Maori in his hometown suburbs of Flaxmere in the Hawke’s Bay dramatically lose weight during an 8-week programme. The story featured on TV3’s 60 MINUTES programme.
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Ease up on the drink
When Metua Bates - Faasisila speaks to community groups about her role as ALAC’s Pacifi c Action Plan Manager she says, “I model the practicality of moderation. I’m not here to say, ‘stop drinking’, I’m here to say, ‘look at how we are drinking and ease up on the drink’. "
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July 7th 2010
Relay in Porirua to fight alarming cancer rates
The Cancer Society of New Zealand’s Relay for Life was held in Porirua to target Pacific Island communities, whose statistics for those impacted by cancer is alarming. According to the latest Ministry of Health statistics 1 in 3 New Zealanders are impacted by cancer and Pacific numbers are worse. Story by JANICE HY-BEE IKIUIA & FLORENCE FAUMUINA-AIONO.
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Te Mahi Kai - The Language of Food
SPASIFIK helps you celebrate Maori language week again this year from July 26 through to August 1. In 2010, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (The Maori Language Commission) want to continue the focus for language promotion on activities and initiatives in communities. They have decided on a food theme for this year, Te Mahi Kai – The Language of Food
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July 6th 2010
Hui To Drive Strategic Direction of Health Research Commitment for Maori
One of the most significant health events for Māori takes place this week in Rotorua, Hui Whakapiripiri 2010, hosted by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) is being held on 8 – 9 July.
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July 2nd 2010
Young Maori smokers paying price for tobacco industry greed
New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) is calling for stiffer measures to be placed on the tobacco industry, to help reduce the high number of young Maori smokers.
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July 2nd 2010
Nurses keen to help smokers quit
Just as New Zealand was among world leaders with its smokefree legislation, it’s now being encouraged to be the first country with an entire nursing workforce dedicated to stubbing out cigarettes.
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July 1st 2010
Pacific Health Fono
Waikato District Health Board, Pacific health providers and churches from throughout the region are joining forces to improve the health of Pacific people.
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July 1st 2010
Groundbreaking Maori youth programme celebrates achievements
Today marks the conclusion of the Mental Health Foundation’s Manawaora o Nga Taiohi programme and the Foundation would like to take this opportunity to celebrate its achievements
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BLOG
July 1st 2010
Eminent NZers challenge Govt to be bold about drinking culture
A group of prominent New Zealanders took to Parliament yesterday to urge definitive steps to combat the alarming rates of alcohol related problems in this country.
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June 30th 2010
MENS HEALTH
New Study Reveals Maori men have higher rates of testicular cancer
New Zealand has different patterns of testicular cancer occurrence compared to the rest of the developed world, particularly in relation to ethnicity, but also socio-economic status according to a new study from the University of Otago, Wellington.
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June 28th 2010
Tobacco firms misled inquiry says US expert
Jeffrey Wigand, the American who blew the whistle on tobacco giants, and who was portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 film The Insider, has travelled here to speak yesterday at a Maori affairs select committee inquiry into the tobacco industry.
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June 24th 2010
Jigsaw says child abuse is a significant and horrendous problem
A surge in the number of child abuse notifications reflects the sad reality of what our social service providers have to deal with every day, says Jigsaw Family Services.
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June 24th 2010
Fact sheet for world ‘No tobacco’ day
The World Health Organization (WHO) called on countries to protect two men and girls from efforts by the tobacco industry to induce them to start smoking.
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June 23rd 2010
Budget cuts raise cost of GP visits for poorer patients
With funding to a local health organisation set to be cut, patients in some of the poorest parts of Lower Hutt will pay more for doctors' visits.
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June 22nd 2010
Volunteering across the generations
One of the greatest examples of intergenerational volunteering in New Zealand occurs on the marae, says Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Tariana Turia.
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June 21st 2010
Sport a vehicle for Pacific development
A University researcher says there are lessons to be drawn from the Football World Cup in South Africa for developing nations in the Pacific looking to participate in major sports competitions and big events like next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
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June 21st 2010
Freed to care: Proud to nurse
On the occasion of 100 years of the New Zealand Nursing Organisation, Tariana Turia, Associate Minister of Health made the following speech at Pipitea Marae in Wellington on Thursday 17 June.
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June 18th 2010
Students have a fitness plan
A group of Aorere College students wants Pacific Island families to get fit, move their bodies and embrace their culture.
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June 16th 2010
Matariki Offers Chance To Quit For Good
Smokers are being challenged by staff at Quitline to banish tobacco from their lives this Matariki
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June 16th 2010
Chart Book 2010 a snapshot of Maori health
A snapshot of Maori health from the mid to the late 2000's is presented in Tatau Kahukura: Maori Health Chart Book 2nd edition 2010, released today by Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia.
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June 15th 2010
Forensics to Health
Understanding that all is not well with Pacific people’s health guided El-Shadan Tautolo (MSc, BSc) into a career in Pacific health research.
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June 11th 2010
Salt reduction at heart of new agreement
Aligning efforts to reduce New Zealanders’ salt intake is at the heart of an agreement signed by The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) and the Heart Foundation yesterday.
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June 11th 2010
Quest to keep a record of a dying Pacific language
PhD graduate, Dr Laura Dimock has spent nine months cataloguing a dying Pacific language spoken by just 700 people.
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June 8th 2010
Six year old boy wants to hear.
Zion Mann, a six-year-old boy in South Auckland who was born with a condition called Microtia Atresia (no outer ear canal or ear) is to have an operation in America to restore his hearing and reconstruct his left ear.
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Friday, 4 June, 2010 / Aso Faraile, fa luni, 2010
Audit of hospital stroke services suggests improvements
An audit has found New Zealanders do not have sufficient access to organised hospital stroke services. The audit also found some positives, including a better approach to the assessment of mini-strokes here, than in Australia.
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Wednesday, 2 June, 2010 / Aso Lulu, lua, luni, 2010
Resilience in Samoa
Auckland engineer Victoria Fray has just returned to New Zealand after a mission as a water and sanitation aid worker in Samoa following September's tsunami and earthquake.
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