Issue 332 - 30 October 2025

Welcome to the fortnightly Health Improvement and Innovation Digest. The Digest has links to key evidence of interest, with access to new content arranged by topic.

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Article Access

For articles that aren't open access, contact your Health NZ district library, or organisational or local library for assistance in accessing the full text. If your organisation has a subscription, you may be able to use the icon under full text links in PubMed to access the full article.

Health Equity (New Zealand)

Strengthening care for adults with palliative care needs in high-income rural communities: a global policy environmental scan
Almost 45% of the world's population resides in rural locations. Despite this, access to best evidence-based palliative care is variable. Reforming and optimising rural palliative care is dependent upon positive public policy. The aim of this scan, published in BMC Palliative Care, was to map country- and jurisdiction- level policy against the elements of care required to optimise rural palliative care provision in high-income countries.

Developing Integrated Healthcare Models for Indigenous People: Insights from a Relational Systematic Scoping Review
Integrated healthcare models show great promise for addressing health disparities affecting Indigenous people, which are often rooted in the enduring effects of colonisation. These models align with Indigenous holistic views of health, recognizing the importance of community, cultural knowledge, and connection to land. The aim of this systematic review, published in the Journal of Community Health, was to understand how these models are being developed and implemented.

Reimagining health in Porirua: a community-led approach to hauora
Meaningful community engagement is essential when designing health services and initiatives. Te Wāhi Tiaki Tātou was established as the Porirua locality under the Pae Ora Act 2022 to support place-based approaches to hauora. This article, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, explores “reimagining sessions” which are facilitated hui that elevate lived experience as a powerful and essential form of evidence in health service design.

Nutrition & Physical Activity (New Zealand)

Physical activity of young Māori and Pasifika wāhine: a strengths-based qualitative study in Aotearoa New Zealand
Young Māori (Indigenous New Zealanders) and Pasifika (Pacific Islanders born outside their country of heritage) wāhine (women) in Aotearoa—Māori name for New Zealand—are reported as being less active compared to other young women and men. Taking strengths-based approaches, we amplify the voices of physically active young Māori and Pasifika wāhine to provide insights that can inform policy and practice. Weaving Indigenous methodologies and qualitative methods, we engage 31 young Māori and Pasifika wāhine (16–25 years) from cities in Aotearoa. The objective of this study, published in AlterNative, is to understand motivations to participate, preferred activities and perspectives on participation.

Nutrition & Physical Activity (International)

First 1000 Days Strategies to Prevent Childhood Obesity: A Narrative Review and Recommendations From the EndObesity Consortium
Childhood obesity remains a major global public health challenge, leading to significant short- and long-term adverse health outcomes and imposing substantial societal costs. Recognising the critical importance of early intervention, the Horizon2020 EU-funded JPI Consortium EndObesity has prioritised the first 1000 days of life, from preconception to 2 years of age, as a key window for obesity prevention strategies. This narrative review, published in Pediatric Obesity, synthesises findings from the EndObesity Consortium, summarising evidence from large multi-cohort studies on the influence of family-based health behaviours in the first 1000 days on offspring obesity risk, the potential of childhood obesity prediction models in the first 1000 days, and strategies to enhance prenatal and postnatal interventions to prevent childhood obesity development.

Emergency Department Services (International)

Prehospital advanced versus basic life support: A cohort study comparing survival to hospital for major trauma patients in New Zealand
The objective of this study, published in Australasian Emergency Care, was to examine the relationship between prehospital Advanced Life Support (ALS) and survival to hospital for major trauma patients in New Zealand and explore its implications for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) practice.

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (New Zealand)

The KiwiDiab First National Paediatric Diabetes Benchmarking Audit: A Report on Children and Adolescents With Diabetes in Aotearoa New Zealand 2023
The aim of this study, published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, was to compare demographics, therapeutics and outcomes in children and adolescents with diabetes in Aotearoa, New Zealand from the KiwiDiab network.

Global landscape of kidney health across Indigenous populations
This article, published in Nature Reviews: Nephrology, examined the determinants of kidney disease and health among major Indigenous populations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Latin America, Aotearoa-New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and the USA. We discuss culturally safe and responsive strategies that can improve the delivery of kidney care and make policy recommendations for multiple levels of government to ensure health-care systems are equipped to meet the needs of Indigenous communities.

Primary Health Care (International)

The dual impact of social prescribing: targeting social determinants to enhance quality of life in chronic conditions
Chronic diseases are heavily influenced by social determinants of health (SDoH), requiring care that extends beyond medical interventions to address underlying issues. Social prescribing, which connects individuals to community resources, offers holistic care complementary to health systems. However, social prescribing requires context-specific tailoring and ongoing evaluation to meet community needs. The objective of this study, published in BMC Primary Care, was to evaluate a 12-week social prescribing intervention targeting SDoH for individuals with, or at risk of developing chronic disease on health-related quality of life, general wellbeing, mental wellbeing, self-reported health, and healthcare utilisation.

Primary Mental Health (New Zealand)

GamblingLess: In-The-Moment: a mixed-methods acceptability and engagement evaluation of a gambling just-in-time adaptive intervention
Mobile health interventions, particularly dynamic Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs), can overcome barriers to gambling treatment by offering timely, accessible support in people's everyday lives. GamblingLess: In-The-Moment is a theoretically-informed and evidence-based app-delivered JITAI to people who want to quit or reduce their gambling. The JITAI aims to reduce gambling symptom severity through short-term reductions in the likelihood of gambling episodes by improving cognitive vulnerability (craving intensity, self-efficacy, or positive outcome expectancies). It administers three daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) to deliver tailored interventions in moments of cognitive vulnerability. Given that intervention acceptability and engagement are likely to improve clinical outcomes, this study, published in Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, aimed to comprehensively examine these constructs for GamblingLess: In-The-Moment.

Smoking Cessation (New Zealand)

Tobacco retailers' views on selling tobacco and nicotine products, tobacco control policies and phasing out tobacco sales: a scoping review
This scoping review, published in Tobacco Control, synthesises the global evidence on tobacco retailers' attitudes towards selling tobacco, tobacco control (TC) measures and the potential phase out of tobacco sales.

Oral Health (New Zealand)

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Asylum Seekers and Refugees: A Systematic Review
Asylum seekers and refugees (ASRs) often experience poorer oral health outcomes than the most disadvantaged populations in their host countries. Limited information is available on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of ASRs. This systematic review, published in the International Dental Journal, synthesised existing research on OHRQoL among ASRs populations.

Key Ministry of Health Publications

Ministry of Health Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2025
The Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2025 sets out what we have achieved and how we have managed our resources over the past year. It details our work on implementing the Government’s priorities, provides an assessment of our operations, including our core functions of policy, regulation, and monitoring, during the 2024/25 financial year, and includes year-end performance information on appropriations. The report also outlines our progress towards our six strategic priorities, covers organisational health and capability, and presents our annual financial statements.

New Zealand Practice Guidelines for Opioid Substitution Treatment 2025
The New Zealand Practice Guidelines for Opioid Substitution Treatment provide clinical and procedural guidance for specialist services and primary health care providers who deliver opioid substitution treatment (OST).

Ministry of Health Consultations & Events

Consultation on the Code of Practice for the Security of Radioactive Material: ORS C5 2021
The Director for Radiation Safety (the Director) intends to review the Code of Practice for the Security of Radioactive Material: ORS C5 2021 (ORS C5 2021). The purpose of the review is to enable the Director to decide whether changes are required to improve ORS C5 2021. The review will consider information on the operation, technical accuracy and clarity of the code of practice. Submissions on this review are due by Friday 28 November 2025.

Experiences with cervical screening 
A Parliamentary Review Committee has been established to independently review the performance of the National Cervical Screening Programme and make recommendations to support its improvement. This survey is an opportunity to share your thoughts, feelings, and feedback about the process – what worked well, what didn’t work well, and how it made you feel. Your voice will help us understand how the National Cervical Screening Programme is working and where improvements could be made to better serve communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. Responses are due by 14 Nov 2025.

Health Sector Initiative

Engaging Pasifika: Le Va and ProCare partner to bring cultural training to primary care professionals
Le Va and ProCare have partnered to create a tailored version of Engaging Pasifika, Le Va’s groundbreaking cultural training, designed to strengthen primary care professionals’ connection with Pacific communities in Aotearoa. The bespoke online module adapts the well-established Engaging Pasifika cultural competency training to meet the specific needs of those working in primary care, helping practitioners to provide more inclusive and equitable healthcare.

The information available on or through this newsletter does not represent Ministry of Health policy. It is intended to provide general information to the health sector and the public, and is not intended to address specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity.