There will be a next time: are we ready?

OPINION: New Zealand needs its own version of the United States’ Centre for Disease Control to help prepare for future pandemics that “have the potential to be far worse than Covid-19”, infectious diseases experts say. Do you think that sounds sensible? A

ARENA WILLIAMS, LABOUR MP, MANUREWA

The Covid-19 pandemic justified widescale action. Not since the influenza pandemic of 1918 had an infectious disease endangered so many.

New Zealand’s decisions needed to be taken quickly as we saw Covid-19 rapidly spread across the globe.

Covid-19 certainly pushed the importance of public health back into the limelight. In Aotearoa, recovery from Covid-19 coincided with major reform of our health system.

Labour began initiating health reforms that changed our approach to health. We know from managing the Covid-19 pandemic that strong, evidence-based, independent advice is crucial in responding to complex health issues.

The most important shift has been in reorienting the whole health system towards achieving pae ora – healthy futures for all – so all people, their whānau and communities are supported to achieve health and wellbeing.

This means reorientation of the system towards population health, and a greater focus on prevention of disease, harm and injury.

Labour established a Public Health Advisory Committee to investigate and help address the long-term health challenges facing Aotearoa. The group ensures scientific expertise is at the heart of policy decision-making, especially as we build a sustainable system capable of delivering health gain and health equity.

We now have a much stronger focus on public health than ever before.

Additionally, Labour set up a new Public Health Agency responsible for public health policy, strategy and intelligence with the Ministry of Health, and also aligned our once separate 12 public health units to work as one organisation, the National Public Health Service.

This service engages with the wider determinants that impact on people’s health, focusing on oranga/wellbeing, prevention, protection and population-level intervention.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has been a unique public health emergency, we must continue to set ambitious goals and mobilise our communities for whatever may lie ahead.

The Covid-19 response has shown us what is possible when we work together and it is beholden on all of us to learn from, and build on, those lessons.

The changes Labour has already implemented will support strong, centralised health responses that provide for effective disease control, and ensure we remain at the ready for future pandemics or public health issues.

Putting strong support behind community action, an emphasis on the role of science, collaborative agency work and the critical role of data gathering and sharing all help in disease control.

It’s vitally important that we continue to reflect, learn, and adapt, not only in any pandemic response, but as our broader health system continues to evolve. Labour will continue to push for further improvements in public health.

STUART SMITH, NATIONAL MP, KAIKŌURA

New Zealanders made significant sacrifices during the Covid-19 period, and some effects are only being realised now.

Implementing swift lockdowns protected New Zealanders during the initial phases of the pandemic but that did come at a cost. School attendance has still not recovered to pre-Covid levels, and some businesses have failed.

The Covid-19 experience, from lockdowns to vaccine rollouts, has highlighted the need for a more structured and permanent framework that addresses how we manage emerging viruses and diseases that could pose an even more significant threat than the Covid outbreak.

New Zealand currently has a Royal Commission inquiry investigating our response to the Covid-19 pandemic; that inquiry must be fulsome, and if it is, it will enable us to respond appropriately next time. And there will be a next time.

The greatest thing we can do to prepare for the next pandemic is to learn from the last one, and those undertaking the inquiry must take their time to gather all the relevant information and present that in a way that we can learn for the future.

In light of Covid-19 and other emergencies, it has become evident that rapid and well- co-ordinated responses to threats are crucial. The knowledge and expertise of epidemiologists, virologists, public health specialists and other professionals dedicated to understanding and combating infectious diseases are important in such situations, but we must also be pragmatic.

Once the Royal Commission inquiry is finalised, a New Zealand-based Centre for Disease Control or similar could serve as a central hub for research, surveillance, and response co-ordination. It would also allow us to monitor new and emerging diseases to ensure we have the best practices to mitigate impacts on New Zealander’s lives and the things we cherish most.

However, there is no need to reinvent the pandemic wheel; we should adopt offshore research where appropriate.

While we are still navigating the complexities of a post-Covid world, now is the time to build resilience against future pandemics. Using the Royal Commission report as a cornerstone, we can implement initiatives that build on our health system and ensure the well-being of Kiwis in the face of unpredictable health