Public health leaders speaking in Wellington

Public health leaders speaking in Wellington through February

The 21st Public Health Summer School starts at the University of Otago, Wellington today. As part of the Public Health Summer School, the university will host four evening talks by leading international public health experts throughout February.

The Wellington lectures are free and open to the public. In an opportunity to hear from world leaders on important public health issues, lectures will be on:

• Emerging infectious diseases

• Disaster resilience

• Domestic violence

• Racism and child health

Responding to emerging infectious diseases is a hot topic in New Zealand with the recent Campylobacter outbreak in Hawkes Bay. In the first lecture on Tuesday, 7 February, Professor David Heymann from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK will speak on: Towards a world free from the threat of emerging infectious diseases

The second lecture on Thursday 9 February is by Professor Ichiro Kawachi, a professor in public health at Harvard University, USA. He received both his medical degree and Ph.D. (in epidemiology) from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and will speak on: Building disaster resilience. Social capital and health in the aftermath of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.

On Monday 13 February Marai Larasi, MBE, Executive Director of Imkaan, UK, will speak about ‘Universal challenges, local solutions? Connecting the dots to address violence against women’.

The final lecture by Dr Naomi Priest, from the Australian National University, Australia, on Tuesday 21 February will be about ‘Racism and child health and wellbeing.’

All lectures will be at the University of Otago, Wellington campus in Mein Street Newtown, and start at 5.15 pm. All welcome. More details about all the lectures in February here.

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