Healthy Futures Summit

This was a one-day national wānanga where bold ideas met collective action.

The summit was held at Te Māhurehure Marae in Auckland to drive systems change and help people to learn from world-leading experts.

It was a unique opportunity to collaborate with public health leaders, policymakers, community organisers, rangatahi, and researchers to design scalable health interventions centred on prevention.

Keynote speaker Professor Gary Sacks, an internationally recognised leader in food policy and prevention economics, presented a bold roadmap for reshaping systems to support long-term wellbeing and set out what needs to happen now.

Presentations delivered at the summit:

Presentation by Professor Gary Sacks, Deakin University

Presentation by Dr Elana Taipapaki Curtis (Te Arawa, MD, MPH, MBChB, BHB)

Presentation by Louise Signal, University of Otago

Presentation by Shamubeel Eaqub, Chief Economist, Simplicity

Presentation by Dr Corina Grey, Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health

Tackle the Big Levers: Prevention Hub sessions examined core drivers of harm, from alcohol sponsorship and junk food marketing to nicotine regulation, ultra-processed foods, and corporate influence on policy.

Shifting Systems, Not Symptoms: Here people engaged with experts leading change in prevention economics, Indigenous health leadership, and policy reform.

Community-Led, Not Top-Down: People participated in interactive panels, rangatahi-led kōrero, and sessions designed to centre equity, sovereignty, and lived experience.

Build Momentum for a National Prevention Movement

If you work in policy, practice, research, or advocacy – or are ready to help transform our health system from reactive to proactive – this event was for you. People left equipped with tools, partnerships, and clear action plans to drive change from grassroots to government.

About Our Keynote Speaker

Professor Gary Sacks is a global authority on food policy and public health economics. As Co-Director of the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) at Deakin University, his research focuses on the corporate and economic drivers of health. He has co-authored major reports for The Lancet Commission on Obesity, UNICEF, and WHO and now leads an international research centre tackling the commercial determinants of health.