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Climate Change as a Health Equity Issue – November 2022

The New Zealand Hospital Pharmacy Association Te Kāhui Whakarite Rongoā Hōhipera o Aotearoa is a not-for-profit voluntary member organisation which represents the views of and advocates for hospital pharmacy staff. At their 2022 Annual Conference in Tāmaki Makaurau, OraTaiao Co-convenor Summer Wright (Ngāti Maniapoto) and ActionStation Climate Justice Advisor India Logan-Riley (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Ngāti Hawea, Rongomaiwahine, Rangitāne) were invited to speak on “Climate Change as a Health Equity Issue.”

They explained that climate change is an effect multiplier, exacerbating existing health inequities. Climate change has a whakapapa or genealogy, rooted in extractive practices and embedded in colonialism. So health is highly political, because it is our environments – including the health of nature, and economic and political paradigms – that influence lives. Their message was that health workers need to collectivise and get politically active. View their presentation slides here. 

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Food, Health, and Student Activism - June 2022

Each year the New Zealand Medical Students Association holds a conference for students with distinguished speakers and social events. At this year's conference, held in Ōtautahi Christchurch last month, the distinguished speakers included our own Co-convenor, Summer Wright (Ngāti Maniapoto, Pākehā). Summer's presentation on “Food, Health, and Student Activism” gave students an overview of the connection between health and climate change, before focusing on the interlinked systems and processes that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture. Her presentation slides are online here.

OraTaiao Co-convenor Summer Wright.

Sustainable Healthcare Conference - June 2021