133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
13 February 2024
J Bruning
By email: [FYI request #25086 email]
Ref:
H2023033847
Tēnā koe
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health - Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 8 December 2023. We note that you made four similar
requests on 8 December 2023, for information specifically held by individual directorates within
the Ministry. The current request specified:
This Official Information Act request is specifically directed to Public Health Agency
Deputy Director-General – Dr Andrew Old and his senior leadership team within this
agency. Please do not forward this to another department within the Ministry of Health.
You requested:
1. Budget for this team for the current and estimated next (2024/2025) financial year.
The budget for the Public Health Agency for the 2023/24 financial year is $91.763 million. The
2024/25 budget has not been allocated or estimated.
2. Income of the Deputy Director-General of the Public Health Agency; and number
and members of the senior leadership team and their incomes.
There are eleven members of the PHA senior leadership. Their roles and pay-bands are
outlined in the table below.
Table 1. Deputy Director-General and Senior Leadership incomes
Position
Pay-band
Pay-band Midpoint
Deputy Director-General
24E
$286,992
Director of Public Health
23D
$267,525
Director- Emergency Management
22G
$216,144
Director – Hauora Māori Tūmatanui
22G
$216,144
Director – Pacific Health
22G
$216,144
Group Manager – Global Health
22G
$216,144
Group Manager – Intelligence, Surveillance
22G
$216,144
and Knowledge
Group Manager – Public Health Strategy &
22G
$216,144
Engagement
Group Manager – Public Health Policy and
22G
$216,144
Regulation
Manager – Office of the Deputy Director-
20G
$157,407
General
Chief Advisor
21G
$175,627
3. Terms of reference/expectations for this team and the name of the head of
department that established the terms of reference/expectations.
The Public Health Agency does not have a term of reference or an expectations document.
However, you may wish to refer to the publicly available information relating to the
establishment of the Public health Agency, including an establishment document here:
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/te-pou-hauora-tumatanui-public-health-agency.
4. Information held by or requested by this directorate including
research/memos/advice/emails relating to:
a. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in New Zealand, a cluster of symptoms
characterised by central obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and insulin
resistance.
b. Current and predicted cost to the health system from metabolic syndrome which
presents as multimorbidity (i.e. cost of multimorbidity for those diagnosed with
metabolic syndrome).
c. Metabolic syndrome and multimorbidity as a risk factor for viral and bacteriological
infections.
d. Metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for poor mental health.
e. Socioeconomic status as a predictor for metabolic syndrome.
f. Diet high in ultraprocessed food as a predictor for metabolic syndrome.
g. Population level data relating to nutrient deficiency (which may include but is not
limited to vitamins B,D,C and iron) by age and socio-economic status.
5. Public health knowledge and surveillance system - extent to which this data is being
monitored and aggregated:
a. Average cost of metabolic syndrome by age, gender and socioeconomic status.
b. Identifying prevalence of diet-related gastrointestinal disorders by age and gender.
c. Identifying key nutrients people with diabetes, cancer and mental illness are
commonly deficient in.
d. Identifying the proportion of the diet based on ultraprocessed food by age and
socioeconomic status.
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e. Reviewing success and cost of school lunch programme initiatives throughout
New Zealand.
On 14 December 2023 we contacted you to clarify parts 4-5 your request and advised that the
Ministry does not widely use the metabolic syndrome classification. We asked you to clarify if
you are seeking information specifically about metabolic syndrome only or have a broader
interest in obesity, diabetes, hypertension etc. Your clarified request is copied below and
responded to below.
4. Information held by or requested by this directorate including
research/memos/advice/emails relating to:
a. Metabolic syndrome is recognised by the World Health Organization. Any reports
and white papers held which reference metabolic syndrome (a cluster of
symptoms characterised by central obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and
insulin resistance).
b. Current and predicted cost to the health system from multimorbidity (i.e. cost of
multimorbidity) for those diagnosed with Cardiovascular Disease or at risk for
Cardiovascular Disease.
c. Diabetes status as a risk factor for viral and bacteriological infections.
d. Diet/nutrition status as a risk factor for poor mental health.
e. Socioeconomic status as a predictor for cardiovascular disease.
f. Diet high in ultraprocessed food as a predictor for cardiovascular disease.
g. Population level data relating to nutrient deficiency (which may include but is not
limited to vitamins B,D,C and iron) by age and socio-economic status.
The Public Health Agency does not hold any information in scope of part 4 of your request as
these topics have not been part of the directorates work programme since its establishment in
July 2022.
5. Public health knowledge and surveillance system - extent to which this data is being
monitored and aggregated:
a. Surveillance and reporting of data to identify healthcare cost when people have
multimorbid conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease by age,
gender and socioeconomic status.
b. Identifying prevalence of diet-related gastrointestinal disorders by age and gender.
c. Identifying key nutrients people with diabetes, cancer and mental illness are
commonly deficient in.
d. Identifying the proportion of the diet based on ultraprocessed food by age and
socioeconomic status.
e. Reviewing success and cost of school lunch programme initiatives throughout New
Zealand.
The Public Health Agency does not hold any information in scope of part 5 of your request. The
Public Health Knowledge and Surveillance System supports knowledge mobilisation and
surveillance activities. It does not of itself, generate or analyse data - it is an enabling system
function.
I trust this information fulfils your request. If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with
us, including this decision, please feel free to contact the OIA Services Team on:
[email address].
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Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Manatū Hauora website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-
official-information-act-requests. Nāku noa, nā
Dr Andrew Old
Deputy Director-General Public Health Agency | Te Pou Hauora Tūmatanui
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