Communities and rangatahi are powerful allies in turning Health Coalition Aotearoa’s prevention priorities into political action, speakers said at HCA’s Prevention Brief launch.
The breakfast event on 20 July marked the launch of HCA’s key priorities in a call to action for politicians in the lead-up to the 2026 general election.
HCA was pleased to welcome more than 30 guests, including Green list MP Hūhana Lyndon and Cody Marsh from TOP. See photo gallery here.
Panel speakers spoke to the prevention priorities, discussing the real-life and inequitable harm caused by tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods, and the industries behind them, while highlighting policies in the Prevention Brief 2026.
Keynote speaker Professor Sir Collin Tukuitonga, Associate Dean Pacific in the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, then laid down a wero for HCA to turn evidence into political action.
“In 2017, there was a systematic review which showed that for every dollar invested in public health interventions, you get more than $14 return,” Sir Collin said. “So, you would think politicians and decision-makers would rush out and invest in public health, but that’s actually not the case. In other words, this is not a rational process.”
Sir Collin went on to suggest some tactics, particularly in a political environment where there is little commitment to preventive healthcare.
These included finding common ground, for example by framing prevention as ‘protecting children’, something most people can relate to.
Given the evident influence of industry lobbyists, personal meetings with politicians remain critical.
Sir Collin also spoke about the need for HCA to socialise its policy priorities and harness the energy of community allies to advocate for them.
Amplifying the voices of rangatahi who can speak about their lived experience and are future voters is also important.
The launch was a convivial gathering where members and allies were able to build the connections that will enable this mahi.
There was a moment of humour when MC and HCA co-chair Professor Boyd Swinburn pointed out that he and Sir Collin were wearing matching light blue and white checked shirts.
“We must be supporting Argentina,” Boyd quipped, in a reference to the unfortunate and unforeseeable clash between the event and the FIFA World Cup final.
The pair were also aligned on the importance of collaborating with allied community organisations and offering a platform for passionate rangatahi.
