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Dr Bryan Thompson. Monday the 8th saw members treated to a presentation on a very topical issue – Public Health: Protection, Prevention and Promotion. The battle against Covid will go on for some time as the virus mutates but the expectation is that each new wave will see less hospitalizations and deaths. However, at the same time we battle with successive variants of Covid some old foes have returned. Measles, chicken pox and polio have all made unwelcome returns often in communities where that would not be expected. Why is this occurring? Largely because of lower vaccination rates, covid lockdowns, populations who have not built up any natural immunity and the growth of widespread conspiracy theories about vaccinations. These factors can combine to make some populations especially vulnerable as the wide variation in vaccination rates across New Zealand shows. If you are worried about any of the above, then Bryan’s warning about the impact of global warming on possible disease spread will not have helped. Diseases that have been restricted to one area of the world due to climatic barriers are now spreading to new areas as the climate changes. Bryan then moved on to the secret sauce. Why do some populations seem to live longer and well? There were some basic rules. Downshift to less stress. Be part of the right tribe and feel that you belong. Focus on loved ones first – the power of the family. Eat good food but not too much [stop before you are full.] Move naturally over the course of the day. Have a purpose in life. He finished with a challenge. What am I going to do this week? |
