Key Achievements

White Paper Positions NZ Health Sector in Vanguard of Best Practice Internationally

In 2011, Malcolm Pollock, NIHI’s Director of Business Development, was commissioned by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to author a White Paper that positioned the New Zealand health sector in the vanguard of best practice in respect to quality, performance and specifically the use of technology. The purpose was primarily to support the New Zealand health technology sector in their international marketing efforts and also to promote New Zealand as an attractive environment for health workers and researchers.Initially targeted at North America, the paper was rewritten for the European market and was launched by Chai Chua, the Director of the National Health Board, in the UK and Germany earlier this year. It has had a significant impact in the UK in particular and was promoted by Lord Earl Howe, their Associate Minister of Health, as an exemplar to which the UK should be paying close heed. The Executive Summary of the White Paper is accessed on the link below. A full version can be downloaded from www.newzealand.com/business.

Executive Summary (PDF)

New Zealand Smoking Cessation Guidelines

The CTRU worked with other agencies in 2007 to develop revised guidelines that have, since 2008, shaped New Zealand's innovative approach to promoting smoking cessation ("ABC" -Ask, give Brief Advice, provide Cessation support) and the training of healthcare professionals in cessation. More...

The Guidlines (PDF format)
The ABCs (PDF format)

World Health Report 2002: Preventing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life

Every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) publishes a major report on international health issues. It is the organisation's most prestigious publication and draws international media coverage and commentary. Dr Anthony Rodgers was the principal author of the World Health Organization Report 2002 - 'Preventing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life'. Other Clinical Trials Research Unit researchers involved were Dr Carlene Lawes who led the assessment of blood pressure and cholesterol globally, Dr Cliona Ni Mhurchu who contributed to the assessment of overweight globally and Stephen Vander Hoorn who was the main statistician. The World Health Report 2002 focused on risks to health. It measured the impact of over 25 major risks globally and assesses relevant interventions and their cost-effectiveness.

As the main annual report from WHO, this publication had huge global reach, with coverage in thousands of newspapers worldwide and simultaneous publication in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. The report, one of the largest ever undertaken by WHO, involved more than 100 scientists from around the world. Dr Rodgers became involved in authoring the report through groundbreaking international work on the determinants of heart disease and strokes being carried out at the Clinical Trials Research Unit. Since its inception in 1989 the Unit has co-ordinated clinical trials involving thousands of people in Australasia, Asia and Europe.

Nutrition and the Burden of Disease New Zealand 1997 - 2011

A report on the impact of nutrition-related risk factors on the health of New Zealanders. The authors of this report were Maria Turley, Niki Stefanogiannis and Martin Tobias from the Ministry of Health and Stephen Vander Hoorn, Dr Carlene Lawes, Dr Cliona Ni Mhurchu and Dr Anthony Rodgers from the Clinical Trials Research Unit. This study was based on the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2002.

National Heart Foundation of New Zealand grants to Clinical Trials Research Unit staff

FELLOWSHIPS: Ms Louise Foley. A Postgraduate Scholarship for three years was awarded to Ms Louise Foley, Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland. Louise Foley has also been awarded a Bright Future Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarship from TEC worth up to $100,000 over three years.

GRANTS-IN-AID: Dr Andrew Jull, CTRU, School of Population Health, University of Auckland. To support research in the area of prevention and management of overweight and obesity, $25,000 for one year.