The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine (NZCPHM) is deeply concerned at the prospect of cuts to the National Public Health Service (NPHS). 

Leaked documents obtained by Radio New Zealand show the service is proposing to axe staff and pull back on projects, after being stripped of millions of dollars in funding.

The NPHS plays a vital role in keeping New Zealanders healthy by providing health promotion, prevention, and protection.

“Cutting back on the public health workforce and programmes to save money is shortsighted and will end up further burdening already stretched health services” says College President Sir Collin Tukuitonga. Public health measures such as immunisation campaigns, infectious disease control and helping people stop smoking are key to reducing the demand on our emergency departments and waiting lists.

Public health is a key component of the New Zealand health system and should be seen as a high-value government investment. The evidence shows that every $1 invested in public health delivers up to $14 in health benefits. As such, “Investing in public health makes good fiscal sense and is the best bang for the buck” says Sir Collin. 

The proposed cuts to the NPHS also fly in the face of the commitments in the Government Policy Statement (GPS) to prioritise prevention and support strengthened public and population health initiatives. “We know public health has a vital role to play in helping the Government achieve its goals – whether it be preventing non-communicable diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease or diabetes, or assisting in the acute response to civil defence emergencies by, for example, ensuring ongoing provision of potable water and advising on community mental health support.”

The College is also very concerned that the proposed cuts will exacerbate dropping levels of job satisfaction and high levels of burnout in the public health medicine workforce – key findings in our latest workforce survey of public health medicine specialists. “The Government needs to further invest in public health if Aotearoa is going to successfully meet the multiple health challenges we are facing” says Tukuitonga. “Now is definitely not the time to be cutting back on public health.”

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