The Wire with Castor

This week on the Thursday Wire, Tuva’a talks to Andrew Little in his weekly chat with the Health Minister about Dr. Shane Reti’s comments on disease vaccines expiring, and about National and ACT looking at getting rid of the Maori Health Authority. 

Emilia covers worker burnout with Professor Jarrod Haar from AUT, Syrian Widow Camps with World Vision, and the NZ Needle Exchange program.

And Joe speaks to Sport NZ about the lack of exercise from New Zealanders over the pandemic, and Lisa Te Morenga, Associate Professor in Nutrition and Maori Health at Massey University, as well as the Acting Chair Health Coalition Aotearoa, about the rising prices in healthy foods. 

That's us from the Thursday Wire!

Last week, a study released by Sport NZ post the 2020 lockdown, showed participation in weekly physical activity was down almost six percent prior to the pandemic.

Joe spoke to Hamish McEwen, the intelligence manager from Sport NZ, about the study they conducted on this decrease in exercise and possible initiatives that could be implemented in order to encourage kiwis to keep active.

In 1988, New Zealand became the first country in the world to introduce a national, government-funded needle exchange programme for people who inject legal and illegal drugs.

New data has shown that the New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme has doubled its return in twenty years and has reduced the need for spending on treatment for HIV, Hepatitis B and C and other injection injuries.

Emilia Sullivan spoke to Jason George, National Harm Reduction Lead at the New Zealand Needle Exchange Programme.

Frances spoke with European correspondent Cameron Mulgan on Eurovision, giving a general update on the situation in Ukraine, the UN's call for an independent investigation into rape there, and politicians visiting Zelensky. They also speak about the EU withdrawing their training mission in Mali, elections in France and solar faming in Greece.