Public Health and New Zealand History, Department of Public Health

About us

History can provide valuable lessons for current public health activities and preparations. Here we detail some of the work in the Department of Public Health that relates to historical events and processes. While much of this work relates to infectious disease control – there is also the history of the control of leaded petrol and historical aspects of tobacco control in this country.

Publications

Chronic disease prevention & control

Wilson N, Horrocks J. Lessons from the removal of lead from gasoline for controlling other environmental pollutants: A case study from New Zealand. Environ Health 2008;7:1. (Found at: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/7/1/1)

Horrocks J, Wilson N. NGO power versus leaded petrol in New Zealand.International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability 2008;4(5):19-28. (Found at: http://ijs.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.41/prod.435)

Thomson G, Wilson N. The Tobacco Industry in New Zealand: A Case Study of the Behaviour of Multinational Companies Wellington: Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago, 2002.

Thomson G, Wilson N. Lost in the Smoke: Tobacco control in New Zealand during the 1990s.N Z Med J 2000;113:122-4.

Thomson G, Wilson N. Tobacco Control in New Zealand, from 1945 to 1961. N Z Med J 1999;112:101-3.

Hutt M, Howden-Chapman P. Old wine in new bottles: the Public Health Commission and the making of New Zealand alcohol policy [Public Health Monograph Series, Number 3]. Wellington: Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, for the Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine, 1998.

Thomson G, Wilson N. A Brief History of Tobacco Control in New Zealand. (www.moh.govt.nz) Wellington: Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, 1997.

Infectious disease epidemiology & control

Summers JA. Pandemic Influenza Outbreak on Troop Ship—Diary of a Soldier in 1918. Emerg Inf Dis 2012;18(11)

Wilson N, Telfar Barnard L, Summers JA, Shanks GD, Baker MG. Differential Mortality by ethnicity in 3 influenza pandemics over a century, New Zealand. Emerg Infect Dis 2012;18:71-77.

Summers JA, Wilson N, Baker MG, Shanks GD. Mortality risk factors for pandemic influenza on New Zealand troop ship, 1918.Emerg Infect Dis 2010;16:1931-1937. (Found at: http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/12/1931.htm)

Wilson N, Summers J, Baker M, Rice G. A bizarre case of drowning as a result of pandemic influenza (1918 pandemic). N Z Med J. 2009;122(1302): 9-94. (Found at: http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal)

Nishiura H, Wilson N. Transmission dynamics of the 1918 influenza pandemic in New Zealand: analyses of national and city data. N Z Med J 2009;122(1296):81-85. (Found at: http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal)

Wilson N, Baker MG, Jennings LC. The clioepidemiology of pandemic influenza and next steps for pandemic influenza research in New Zealand.N Z Med J 2008;121:(1284):6-10. (Found at: http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal)

McLeod MA, Baker M, Wilson N, Kelly H, Kiedrzynski T, Kool JL. Protective Effect of Maritime Quarantine in South Pacific Jurisdictions, 1918-19 Influenza Pandemic. Emerg Infect Dis 2008;14:468-70. http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/14/3/468.htm

McSweeny K, Colman A, Fancourt N, Parnell M, Stantiall S, Rice G, Baker M, Wilson N. Was rurality protective in the 1918 influenza pandemic in New Zealand?N Z Med J 2007;120:U2579. (Found at: http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal)

Sertsou G, Wilson N, Baker M, Nelson P, Roberts MG. Key transmission parameters of an institutional outbreak during the 1918 influenza pandemic estimated by mathematical modeling. Theor Biol Med Model 2006;3:38. http://www.tbiomed.com/content/3/1/38

Wilson N, Rice G, Thomson G, Baker M. Re-evaluating a local public health control measure used for pandemic influenza in 1918.N Z Med J 2005;118:U1714. (Found at: http://journal.nzma.org.nz)

Presentations

Wilson N, Summers J, Baker M, Harper G. Strengths and Weaknesses in the NZ Military's Response to Infectious Diseases in the First World War: A Brief Review. Presentation to the Conference: “Rethinking War - Is there anything new that can be said about the First World War?” Wellington, Stout Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, 28–30 November 2013.

Thomson G, Wilson N, Summers J, Baker M, Harper G. Fatal injury among New Zealand WW1 military personnel. Department of Public Health Seminar, University of Otago, Wellington, 11 April 2014 (Also presentation to the Conference: “Rethinking War - Is there anything new that can be said about the First World War?” Wellington, Stout Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, 28–30 November 2013).

Thomson G. Words and Images from World War One. Department of Public Health Seminar, University of Otago, Wellington, 11 April 2014.

Wilson N, Summers J, Baker M. Injury epidemiology and New Zealand military forces in World War One. [Poster presentation]. Inj Prev 2012;18(Suppl 1):A153. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2012-040590I.6

Wilson N, Barnard LT, Summers J, Shanks D, Baker M. Relatively high mortality for Maori and Pacific peoples in the 2009 influenza pandemic and comparisons with previous pandemics. (Abstract of Conference Poster: P2-489). J Epidemiol Community Health 2011;65:A356. doi:10.1136/jech.2011.142976m.16

Summers JA, Gottfredsson M, Wilson N, Baker MG. Comparative study of the influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 in two island nations: Iceland and New Zealand (Abstract of Conference Poster: P1-524). J Epidemiol Community Health 2011;65:A212. doi:10.1136/jech.2011.142976h.12

Summers JA, Wilson N, Baker MG. Descriptive epidemiology of mortality among the New Zealand expeditionary forces in World War I (Abstract of Conference Poster: SP6-41). J Epidemiol Community Health 2011;65:A465-A466. doi:10.1136/jech.2011.142976q.12

Summers JA, Wilson N, Baker MG. Ethnic gradient in mortality among the New Zealand military personnel in World War I (Abstract SP6-43). J Epidemiol Community Health 2011;65:A466. doi:10.1136/jech.2011.142976q.14

Wilson N, Lush D, Bell P. Lessons for zoonotic disease and vector eradication in New Zealand from past successes (Abstract of Conference Poster: P1-370). J Epidemiol Community Health 2011;65:A169-A170. doi:10.1136/jech.2011.142976f.62

Summers JA, Wilson N, Baker MG. Ethnic gradient in mortality amongst the New Zealand military personnel in World War One. [Poster presentation]. 2010 Australasian Epidemiological Association Annual Scientific Meeting. Sydney, Australia, 29 September – 1 October 2010.

Wilson N, Telfar Barnard L, Summers J, Shanks GD, Baker MG. Differential Health Impacts of Three Influenza Pandemics for an Indigenous People: Maori in New Zealand. [Poster presentation 249]. 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Atlanta, Georgia 11-14 July, 2010.

Summers JA, Wilson N, Baker MG, Shanks GD. Mortality Risk Factors in an Outbreak of Pandemic Influenza on a New Zealand Troop Ship in 1918. [Poster presentation 117]. 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Atlanta, Georgia 11-14 July, 2010.

Summers JA, Wilson N, Baker MB. Descriptive Study of Pandemic Influenza amongst the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, 1918 to 1919. [Poster presentation 317]. 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Atlanta, Georgia 11-14 July, 2010.

McLeod M, Baker M, Wilson N, Kelly H, Alvarado-Ramy F. Protective effect of maritime quarantine in South Pacific Islands during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic [Poster presentation]. Population Health Congress, Brisbane Australia, 6-9 July 2008.

McLeod M, Baker M, Wilson N, Kelly H, Alvarado-Ramy F. Protective Effect of Maritime Quarantine in South Pacific Jurisdictions, 1918-19. [Poster presentation 247]. International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICEID). Atlanta (16-19 March). 2008. (Page 158 in Abstract Book).

Other History Studies

Data for a New Zealand outdoor statue study of named people in 2019, with links to social justice and militarism. (XLS)