Public Health

Regulatory Services

Te Whatu Ora Taranaki Regulatory Services team is the lead service provider in Taranaki for the delivery of health protection functions. The main focus is of the Regulatory Services team to protect health and wellbeing in our Taranaki communities with a focus on environmental health and communicable disease control. This work is undertaken by specialised and designated officers that are appointed under various statues, although principally through the Health Act 1956. Health Protection Officers designated by the Director General of Health and have a role to provide advice, information, assess, respond and minimise public health risk.

Medical Officer of Health / Public Health Physician

Part of the team at Taranaki Public Health is the Medical Officer of Health. This person is a specialist doctor with a number of responsibilities and powers defined under legislation.

A Medical Officer of Health:

is a public health physician
can provide specialist advice on matters that relate to population health
uses a broad definition of health which includes physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
is passionate about eliminating health inequities
has a special interest in communicable diseases and environmental issues which impact on the health of the public
does not normally see individual patients

Contact the Medical Officer of Health
Phone 06 753 7798

Planning and Policy Services

The Taranaki Public Health Unit Planning & Policy team seeks to work collaboratively with other agencies/departments (within and outside of the health sector) to influence decisions to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Taranaki.

Health and wellbeing is strongly influenced by the social determinants of health - the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. Some examples of the social determinants of health are ethnicity, income, education, housing, food security and access to health services. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between communities.

Find us

First Floor
Barrett Building (Building #20 below)
Tukapa Street entrance (Gate 2)

Last updated: Wednesday, February 1, 2023