Sir Jerry Mateparae talks about ‘Healthier Lives’.
This week’s speaker was Sir Jerry Mateparae, a distinguished New Zealander who is accustomed to talking and answering questions about his career as a soldier, diplomat, and of course, Governor-General.
On this occasion he was relieved, he said, to tell us about his latest role. He is chair of the Board of one of the government’s National Science Challenges, which was set up in 2014 with funding guaranteed for ten years. The Challenges are mission-led, employ the best available research teams, embrace Vision Matauranga, and encourage stakeholders to set the research agendas.
Sir Jerry chairs one of the three health-related Challenges, called ‘Healthier Lives’. This one focuses on the health issues in the adult population which place the heaviest burden on the system. There are four prominent diseases under special study: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Interestingly, the bulk of work is not laboratory-based biomedical research - the search for ‘cures’ - but deals more with the detection, assessment, and management of diseases out in the community.
This is going well, and Sir Jerry gave some examples. Diabetes can be better controlled via ‘health navigators’ who will guide sufferers into better lifestyles. A tool has been developed to help GPs predict who is most at risk from cardiovascular events. CCDna testing of blood samples can detect cancers at low cost, and indicate whether tumours are growing or shrinking.
The health status of Maori and Pasifika populations is relatively poor, and ‘Healthier Lives’ is looking at issues around equitable access to health services which, as Bill McAulay noted, has become evident in the current pandemic.
Finally, Sir Jerry paid tribute to the dedicated and highly skilled scientists involved in the Healthier Lives challenge.
Test Your Wits! Today's Riddle Will Keep You Guessing!
Only one colour, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in the sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
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Product recalls - November 2024
Here are some items that have been recalled during October/November. Click on the blue title to learn more details about the recalled product.
Food recalls:
Equal brand European Dark Chocolate
Mrs Rogers spices - Butter Chicken, Curry Powder and Garam Masala
Bin Inn brand Ground Fennel
Classic Taste Fennel Powder
Jongga Kimchi
Pure Delish Grain-ola
Homemade Baker Muffin Batter Banana Choc-Chip
Hellers Shaved Roast Chicken
My Food Bag middle eastern spice blend and All The Flavour dukkah
Gilmours Jalapeno flavour corn chips
Product recalls:
Goldair panel heaters
Boost Lab skin cleanser
Canyon E-bike batteries
Panasonic power supply adapter
Kids blanket hoodies
SCA lithium battery
Noxen Kids hooded towel
Kids rubber duckies
Justyling/YesBobbleheads custom Neon sign
Brompton T Line bike
We hope this update was helpful to you and your whānau.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️