Public Health

The government wants private hospitals to do more elective surgery - will this help ease pressure on the public system, or undermine it?  Audio

Wastewater testing became part of our daily lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, but what else can it tell us about what's happening in our communities? From looking for illicit drugs, to monitoring… Audio

Wastewater testing became a part of our daily lexicon during the Covid-19 pandemic, but what else can it tell us? Claire Concannon meets some scientists using wastewater to figure out how much alcohol… Audio

Anti-smoking groups are sounding the alarm at the growing number of vape shops in the country, with 300 new stores opening up since February alone. Kathryn speaks to Letitia Harding, chief executive… Audio

The Detail brings you the issues that matter every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio

When MPs begin their careers most outline hopeful future achievements. Some very hopeful. Few get to start polishing them off inside a year. Video, Audio

As of Friday afternoon, more than 70 percent of New Zealanders aged 12 or over had received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, or are booked in to receive it. But as witnessed in Israel, where… Audio

While the world continues to struggle to contain Covid-19, scientists are warning of another coronavirus pandemic on the horizon -- one which is likely to come from a yeast-like fungus. Dr Tom Chiller… Audio

Kiwi Patrick Emanuel is a pathologist who is based in Lima. We've spoken to him before about the situation with Covid-19 in Peru, and now things are looking bad there with next door neighbours Brazil… Audio

Osteoarthritis is becoming increasingly common in New Zealand due to many factors - including our escalating rates of obesity.  Audio

Steph Tan looks at what some of our biggest public health challenges are and whether a greater focus should be on treatment or prevention. Audio

Mask wearing and social distancing for Covid-19 has all but cut influenza cases in New Zealand this year, with only six flu isolates detected in this country from April to August.  Professor Michael… Audio

How often throughout the pandemic have you seen a man with a surgical masked pulled down so that it hugs his chin? Several surveys have shown that men are less likely to wear a mask to curb Covid-19… Audio

By the time Grant and Marilyn Nelson retire they would have given away more than $50 million. In the 1970s, the pair started a business in a garage which proved to be so successful that in 1995 they… Audio

Experts are saying there is a very high chance that Covid-19 will start being transmitted through the community again soon and that it is only a matter of time before NZ goes back to alert level two… Audio

In 1978, a seemingly straightforward experiment involving New Zealand rabbits discovered that kindness made the difference between a heart attack and a healthy heart. It's called the 'rabbit effect'… Audio