Public lectures: Considering big health issues

Public health experts and public lectures: Considering big health issues

Leading international and New Zealand health experts will be in Wellington to participate in the 22nd Public Health Summer School run by the University of Otago, Wellington in February. The Public Health Summer School will be officially opened by the Minister of Health, Hon Dr David Clark on 7 February.

To coincide with the public health symposia and courses, the School is offering three free public evening lectures on important issues:

“Why do we still need to know about the 1918 influenza pandemic?”

The influenza pandemic in 1918 is by far New Zealand’s worst natural disaster with an estimated 9000 deaths. What made its impact so severe, especially for Māori, and what are the lessons for controlling future pandemics?

Monday 19 February Dr Freddie Bray from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France will speak on:
“Development and diversity: assessing the future burden of cancer worldwide”

This talk will examine the global patterns and trends of cancer worldwide and emphasise the need for local data and long-term investments in the prevention and early detection of the disease.

• On Monday, 26 February Professor Pat Dudgeon from the University of Western Australia will speak about key success factors in Indigenous suicide prevention:

“Improving mental health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders: Sharing the Evidence of Effective Interventions”

All lectures will be held at the University of Otago, Wellington campus in Newtown, starting at 5.15 pm. For more details, go to: http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/news/events/otago475001.html

The Public Health Summer School is one of the largest and longest running events of its kind internationally. More than 800 people have registered to attend one or more of the 30 courses that will be run over the three weeks from 7 to 28 February.

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