Baker said the findings highlight a \u201cvicious cycle\u201d, where long-term conditions increase vulnerability to infections, and infections in turn lead to more serious chronic illness.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it becomes a vicious cycle, and we need to break that cycle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s different is that we\u2019re looking at all these factors in an integrated way. If someone has multiple chronic conditions, it greatly increases their risk of being hospitalised with an infectious disease. That hasn\u2019t been looked at before in New Zealand in a comprehensive way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cgood news\u201d, said Baker, is that we as a society can alter every part of this cycle.<\/p>\n
One example he gave is Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial infection that is the leading cause of stomach cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you treat that infection effectively, you almost eliminate stomach cancer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat infection is driven by household crowding. Chronic infection leads to stomach ulcers and cancer, so we need to understand who is most at risk and introduce better screening and treatment programmes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also pointed to the widespread use of antibiotics in early childhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 95% of children under 5 have had a course of antibiotics, which can alter gut bacteria for years and affect many aspects of health,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Early and widespread antibiotic use in children may have long-term impacts on health, particularly in already vulnerable communities. Photo \/ 123rf<\/p>\n
The study also found M\u0101ori and Pacific people remain two to three times more likely to be hospitalised with infectious diseases, which still account for more than a quarter of acute hospital admissions nationwide.<\/p>\n
While the research outlines system-level patterns, those impacts are being felt daily by wh\u0101nau.<\/p>\n
Cheryl Davies, a public health researcher and founder of the T\u016b Kotahi M\u0101ori Asthma Trust at K\u014dkiri Marae, said the reality is often more complex than a single diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur wh\u0101nau are living with maybe a long-term condition, and then they might have an infectious disease like Covid or influenza,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust hearing the impacts of that, not only on them, but on their wh\u0101nau as well, has been really powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davies said the current health system often struggles to respond to that complexity.<\/p>\n
\u201cFifteen-minute GP appointments often don\u2019t give enough time when you have more than one health condition,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo wh\u0101nau are forced to choose what they can share in that timeframe.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said a lack of continuity of care and limited time with clinicians means the broader realities of wh\u0101nau life, including housing conditions and wider family dynamics, are often overlooked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOften when we talk about overcrowding, our wh\u0101nau don\u2019t see it that way, but it can impact how illness spreads through a household, affecting the whole wh\u0101nau, not just the individual.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davies said solutions exist within communities, but need to be better resourced and connected to the wider health system.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrganisations like our Wh\u0101nau Ora collective play a critical role in the long-term health and wellbeing of wh\u0101nau,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Community-led health initiatives grounded in wh\u0101nau support play a vital role in addressing the root causes of health inequities. Photo \/ Ben Fraser<\/p>\n
\u201cIf someone\u2019s coming in multiple times with respiratory conditions, we can look at their housing and refer them into services to address those issues, but that needs to be linked up with primary care so we\u2019re working together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without that support, she said the consequences are immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see an increase in acute GP visits, and then wh\u0101nau end up in emergency departments when it\u2019s actually preventable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baker said addressing the issue requires a shift beyond treating illness in isolation and towards tackling the underlying drivers of inequity.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of these differences are driven by social and economic factors, employment, education, housing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we intervene in smarter ways, we not only improve people\u2019s lives, but we also reduce pressure on the health system.\u201d<\/p>\n
The research was grounded in a partnership with K\u014dkiri Marae in Lower Hutt, where findings were shared with community providers, clinicians and wh\u0101nau this week.<\/p>\n
Baker said that connection is critical to ensuring the solutions work in practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no point imposing solutions that aren\u2019t feasible or accepted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n