The New Zealand medical journal
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Climate change is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. Despite some inherent uncertainties in making predictions about climate change, there is wide scientific consensus that global warming is occurring; that it is largely due to manmade greenhouse gas emissions; and that it will have substantial health implications for the future. The predicted health impacts of climate change are now clearer for New Zealand, and general practitioners can take action to mitigate these impacts and adapt to the future environment. Actions required involve a combination of 'top-down' and 'ground-up' approaches; effective leadership and policy from our health institutions and, importantly, individual practice initiatives that transform these goals into practical outcomes.
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We carried out a serological and clinical survey to determine the prevalence and clinical presentation of yaws on two twin islands in Polynesia: Wallis and Futuna. A total of 264 serum samples were tested for specific Treponema pallidum haemagglutinations assay and non-specific rapid plasma reagin: 52 were positive for one or both tests; only one young adult had skin lesion consistent with yaws; and there were no observed cases of secondary or tertiary yaws. Our results contrast with findings in neighbouring islands, such as Vanuatu, where yaws has been reported to resurge. This difference might be explained by better availability and accessibility of healthcare on Wallis and Futuna, thus allowing widespread use of antibiotics for other bacterial diseases.
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When people in industry or government burnout, the resulting inefficiencies and logjams may frustrate and even harm the citizenry. However, the stakes are higher in health care. ⋯ In our respective roles as former Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC), and chairman of the Medical Council, we have seen the harm caused by burnout in the medical profession. In this article, we seek to describe the problem and suggest some strategies to address it.
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Comparative Study
Molecular epidemiology and susceptibility profiles of Clostridium difficile in New Zealand, 2009.
The aim of this study was to provide baseline information on the molecular epidemiology and the antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) clinical isolates from patients throughout New Zealand. ⋯ There is a wide range of C. difficile PCR-ribotypes circulating in New Zealand and antimicrobial resistance is uncommon. Ongoing surveillance for hypervirulent strains of C. difficile is essential to prevent the dissemination of these strains within New Zealand hospitals.