Tō mātou whakatūnga

Our role

We are an evidence-based health promotion organisation, influencing all sectors that contribute to health and wellbeing. 

Our key role is to lead and support health promotion initiatives to:

  • promote health and wellbeing and encourage healthy lifestyles
  • prevent disease, illness and injury
  • enable environments that support health, wellbeing and healthy lifestyles
  • reduce personal, social and economic harm.

HPA has alcohol-specific functions to:

  • give advice and make recommendations to government, government agencies, industry, non-government bodies, communities, health professionals and others on the sale, supply, consumption, misuse and harm of alcohol as those matters relate to HPA’s general functions
  • undertake, or work with others, to research alcohol use and public attitudes to alcohol in New Zealand and problems associated with, or consequent on, alcohol misuse. 

HPA is proud to be part of the New Zealand health sector team working toward the New Zealand Health Strategy’s goal of helping all New Zealanders live well, stay well and get well. The strategy pursues equitable outcomes for all New Zealanders.

HPA acknowledges the special relationship between Māori and the Crown under the Treaty of Waitangi and is committed to recognise and respect the principles of the Treaty. New Zealand’s Māori Health Strategy, He Korowai Oranga sets the overarching framework that guides HPA and the wider health and disability sector to achieve the best health outcomes for Māori.

We were established on 1 July 2012 by the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. As a Crown agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004, we are required to give effect to government policy when directed by the responsible Minister. However, in delivering our alcohol specific functions, we must only have regard to Government policy if directed to do so by the Minister. 

We are funded from Vote Health (the Government’s funds for the health system) and the levy on alcohol produced or imported for sale in New Zealand.

 

Te Hiringa Hauora

Te Hiringa Hauora was a name gifted to the Health Promotion Agency by the late respected kaumātua New Amsterdam (Amster) Reedy (Te Aitanga a Mate/Uepohatu). Te Hiringa Hauora is described as “the unrelenting pursuit of wellbeing”. 

Our vision 

New Zealanders realise their potential for good health and improved quality of life. New Zealand’s economic and social development is enhanced by people leading healthier lives.

Our mission

Inspiring all New Zealanders to lead healthier lives.

    Our work contributes to the Government’s key health initiatives covering a wide range of activities. We are also frequently asked to work on new Government health promotion initiatives.

    We’re a small organisation with a big job so a lot of the work we do is in partnership with others including health sector agencies, the community and voluntary sector, non-government organisations, central government, territorial authorities, education sector agencies, businesses, the media, policy makers, academics and researchers.

    We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of people who experience the greatest health challenges and inequities. This includes Māori, as tangata whenua, and other communities such as Pacific peoples and those with a low socioeconomic status. 

    Our work is divided into three main areas:

    • informing health promoting policy and practice
    • enabling health promoting initiatives and environments
    • promoting health and wellbeing.

    Informing

    Research and evaluation is key to every aspect of our work. 

    We undertake and support research and provide advice to inform our own work and the work of others. We also influence the development and implementation of policies and laws by contributing to interagency processes, making submissions to central and local government and by providing evidence-based research.

    Learn more about our research 

    Enabling

    An important part of our work is ensuring the environments where New Zealanders live, work, learn and play support and promote health and wellbeing. Our ability to do this is greatly extended by working with others. 

    We connect with communities to help them develop local solutions to local problems. We also offer specialist knowledge and undertake work to improve how health promotion is incorporated into workplace, sport and education settings. 

    By providing advice, resources and tools to a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations we help them to promote good health in their own community. 

    Learn more about our programmes

    Promoting

    For New Zealanders to lead healthier lives, individuals and families need to be aware, motivated and able to improve and protect their own and their family’s health and wellbeing.

    Much of our work uses marketing approaches aimed at achieving behaviour change. Promoting health and wellbeing, working with communities and communicating health messages to priority audiences are major parts of the public face of HPA. 

    Learn more about our campaigns