Māori kura in Christchurch waits a decade for permanent site
Leaks, mould, and sewage are some of the issues a Māori school in Christchurch is dealing with almost daily, as it waits for a permanent site a decade after opening. In-Depth Journalist Ella Stewart reports
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RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
Commodifying childhood: NZ children see marketing for unhealthy products 76 times a day
By By Leah Watkins and Louise Signal* of Photo: 123RF Analysis: Media headlines, industry figures and research confirm what many parents suspect: marketing to children has not only grown in scale but also in sophistication. It now happens in a wider variety of contexts, both physical and digital, and in a more systematic, integrated and personalised way than ever before. Children in Aotearoa New Zealand are growing up in a commercial environment unlike any previous generation. Advertising isn't just something they see between TV programmes. It's woven into their physical environment and the digital platforms they use to learn, play and socialise. Our new research showed just how pervasive this exposure is. We used data from the earlier Kids'Cam observational study, which tracked 90 New Zealand children's real-world experiences using wearable cameras that captured what they were looking at from waking up to going to sleep. On average, we found children encountered marketing for "unhealthy" products - junk food, alcohol and gambling, 76 times per day. That's almost two-and-a-half times more than their daily exposure to "healthy" marketing. Coca-Cola topped the list of most frequently encountered brands, appearing 6.3 times a day on average. The findings also show stark inequalities. Children from more socioeconomically deprived areas were exposed to significantly more unhealthy marketing for junk food. Advertising directed at children extends far beyond simply promoting products. It profoundly shapes their cognitive, social and behavioural development. Research has shown it can spark an immediate desire for products and contribute to conflict between children and parents. It can also influence the formation of broader consumption values and desires. Advertising exposure has been linked to increased materialism, by associating possessions with happiness and success. However, materialism is consistently associated with lower self-esteem, reduced wellbeing, and weaker social relationships because it shifts focus away from intrinsic sources of fulfilment such as personal growth and connection. Moreover, marketing plays a pivotal role in shaping children's beliefs, attitudes and social norms. There is evidence connecting advertising to the internalisation of gender and racial stereotypes and distorted body image. It has also been linked to the early use of harmful products such as tobacco and alcohol. Advertising has been found to affect dietary habits, with sustained exposure to food advertising significantly increasing the risk of childhood obesity. Children are uniquely vulnerable to the influence of advertising as they lack the critical reasoning skills to recognise and evaluate persuasive intent. In the online environment where advertising is embedded in games, influencer content and social feeds, children are especially vulnerable. Our study found a clear pattern. The less regulation there is, the higher the exposure. Tobacco marketing, which is tightly regulated, was rarely encountered by the children in our study. Alcohol and gambling - regulated by a patchwork of laws and voluntary codes - appeared moderately often. But junk food marketing, almost entirely self-regulated by industry, dominated what they saw. More than half of the unhealthy food and alcohol marketing children saw came from just 15 multinational companies. This highlights the systemic nature of the problem, as well as the resources behind it. These companies have the money to spend on marketing these harmful products to children. International agencies such as the United Nations have warned that exploitative marketing is a major global threat to children's health. To respond to this growing harm, governments need to: This is not just about protecting children's innocence. It's about protecting their health, autonomy and future opportunities. Left unchecked, the current commercial environment risks deepening health inequities and normalising harmful consumption patterns from an early age. Aotearoa New Zealand has the chance to lead efforts to create a digital and physical environment where commercial interests do not undermine children's rights and wellbeing. That requires moving beyond voluntary codes towards enforceable protections - grounded in evidence, public health priorities and equity. If we don't act now, we risk commodifying childhood itself. *Leah Watkins is an associate professor in Department of Marketing and Louise Signal is a professor in Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit at University of Otago. -This story was originally published on The Conversation.
NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Dargaville Hospital patients asked to sign consent form on having no on-site doctor
'If you prefer to be transferred to Whangārei Hospital, we will happily arrange this.' The former clinical director for Northland's rural hospitals, Dr Pragati Gautama – who resigned last year in frustration – said the consent form put patients and staff in a difficult position. 'Is it informed consent? Because the person arriving is unwell and now has to sign a pro-forma on where to stay, and I question if they really know how unwell they are. 'You're relying on an in-person nurse consult and telehealth emergency medicine consultants videoing in for overnight care.' In a report to management last year, Gautama warned the lack of an on-site overnight doctor at Dargaville was 'high risk' with the potential for an obstetric emergency, or for a critically ill child or adult to turn up after hours. 'I discussed the fact we should close the hospital after hours because it was unsafe. I don't believe it's fair on the nursing staff who are left with no [on-site] support to manage quite complex patients.' Her advice was rejected, reportedly at the direction of national leadership. 'They basically said 'No, we can't do that, it's going to look bad'. 'It made a mockery of everything I had attempted to discuss and improve on ... it meant: you're not prepared to listen to me, either because you don't want to or you don't want to direct finances to these initiatives.' Dr Pragati Gautama. Photo / Supplied Compared with central Otago, where she often worked now, Northland lagged behind in terms of access to radiology, lab tests and IT, she said. Rural hospitals in Northland were still relying on hand-written medication charts. 'I've never had a problem getting a patient in Otago transferred to ICU. 'Whereas, when I've worked in Northland, there seem to be at least three different steps to managing transfers. No one is putting in extra infrastructure for the ambulance staff, and we really need to be doing that. 'I think we're playing with people's lives basically, just because they happen to be Māori or Pasifika or poor, we're putting them at the bottom of the list.' Health NZ to blame for 'crisis' staffing situation – doctor Dargaville Hospital doctor Josh Griffiths said anyone who may need a doctor was transferred to Whangārei Hospital by ambulance. 'But it's safe – it's just not ideal.' Griffiths, who also worked as a GP, said transfers were still 'far from seamless' and there was often some push-back from staff when a patient was sent to the hospital at the end of the day. 'I don't feel great about that, the staff don't feel great about it, the patients are often complaining to me about it, they don't feel great about it. 'But in terms of the form, I'm fine with the form. It's all about informed consent because it's a different service to what people are expecting, they just need to be told that it's different.' However, he did blame Te Whatu Ora for the staff shortages. Dargaville Hospital's last fulltime doctor quit at the end of June. 'I know, for example, there have been quite significant delays with people who have expressed interest in working here in processing their applications and getting contracts to them. 'I'm talking months and months before contracts are offered, and I just think that's laughable when you're dealing with a crisis staffing situation.' As at the end of June, 22% of doctor positions across Northland's three rural hospitals were vacant. Hospital is safe – Health NZ Acting executive director for the northern region, Vanessa Thornton, said Health NZ was working hard to recruit and medical vacancies were 'automatically' advertised. 'There's no delay in the northern region for this, for medical staff, and particularly where there's a vacancy like that.' Meanwhile, the interim arrangement at Dargaville Hospital was safe for stable patients who were not acutely ill, she said. 'It's okay to have very experienced nurses working there, with appropriate escalation through to doctor or transfer to Whangārei, were they to deteriorate acutely. 'Sometimes, it's the patients we send back to Dargaville post an in-patient stay in Whangārei Hospital, so it's a place that's closer to home for them to rehab.' Rural hospitals would never have all the facilities of a big metropolitan centre, she said. 'If you live in rural places, you will need to go to a base hospital for very acute illnesses. 'And that's true anywhere around New Zealand or Australia or anywhere.'
Otago Daily Times
19 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Outgoing needle exchange provider mulls injunction
The outgoing providers of Dunedin's needle exchange service is not ruling out seeking an injunction against the new contract holders, the Otago Daily Times understands. The Disc Trust, which has administered the needle-exchange programme since 1988, has lost its contract. From next month, the programme will be run by Christchurch-based health services provider He Waka Tapu, which is part of Te Waipounamu Collective. But the ODT understands the handover has been beset by a lack of communication and the Disc Trust are fearful the new provider will not be ready with the infrastructure in time. A group of Disc Trust clients and workers sent management an open letter requesting they seek an injunction in order to delay the handover until communication channels become more open, and they provide some guarantees over infrastructure. "We feel that the lack of transparency and engagement with the community over this process constitutes a breach to the spirit of the programme." Part of the reason for seeking this injunction is the fact He Waka Tapu has not had prior experience in needle exchange. Disc Trust executive director Philippa Jones said it had received and appreciated the letter. "What I can say is that the Disc Trust is considering all options that are available to it. "We continue to receive many inquiries and concerns from our clients about this change, and we are concerned for their wellbeing." There was concern about the short transition period. "Disc Trust has not yet received a transition plan from the new provider or any plan outlining how they intend to operate the service. "We're concerned for the clients and the continuity of service given the short timeframe to transition the service. "Our greatest concern is that the consumers of the service have had no input into the change." The ODT approached Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand about the trust's concerns. HNZ director of Starting Well, Deborah Woodley, said it was confident Disc was provided with well-researched information and advice at all times during the procurement process. "Te Waipounamu Collective will begin service delivery from October and is committed to having people with lived and living experience in significant roles in the delivery and leadership of the programme." HNZ would ensure relationships across the region were developed and maintained, she said. "The collective is also committed to working with the two providers who will continue providing services elsewhere in New Zealand."
