The Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) is gearing up to announce its 2015 funding results in early June. The HRC’s Chief Executive Dr Kathryn McPherson says that the really important news to note is the difference that funding awarded in previous years has achieved for New Zealand.
“We recently undertook a survey of all the health-related research published by New Zealand researchers between 2005 and 2009,” says Dr McPherson. “The survey shows that New Zealand research is punching above its weight,” she says.
“The results of the survey identified that health research funded by the HRC has a significant impact around the world,” she says. HRC publications were cited at or above the world average for citation impact in every field.
“In a number of fields, research undertaken by HRC-funded researchers achieved double the world average for scientific influence - measured by the number of other studies which reference New Zealand research. For example in paediatrics and reproductive medicine, immunology, genetics and clinical sciences, with our articles achieving double the world average for citation impact.” The HRC’s health research achieved an impressive 20 per cent of publications ranked in the top 20th percentile worldwide, and one or more publication ranked in the top 1 per cent worldwide in a number of fields.
“Our findings indicate that our assessment processes result in exceptionally high quality work that makes a difference. The fact that our researchers are amongst the very best internationally is great for New Zealand for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps the most important one is because where there is high quality health research, all international data indicates there is better health for the population,” says Dr McPherson.
Since our establishment in 1990 the quality of life for all New Zealanders, and the number of years we can expect to live free from disease and disability has improved significantly – New Zealand’s infant mortality rate has declined by 30 per cent, the disability among over 65 year olds has decreased by 13 per cent, life expectancy has increased by six years for males and three years for females, and survival rates from cancer have doubled since the 1970s. Our research and research teams have made many of these health gains possible.
“As we move towards celebrating 25 years of serving New Zealand this year, it is timely to recognise some of the world-first breakthroughs and significant health and economic impacts HRC-funded research has achieved, says Dr McPherson.
- We have had a tangible impact on the health of our homes and environment. The work of Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman and her team proved the link between meningococcal disease and household overcrowding, while Professor David Fergusson as part of the Christchurch Longitudinal study established the link between passive smoking and respiratory illness, and the negative health impact of lead. Each of these findings has resulted in real changes to housing policy and the health of our homes; the regulation of smoking and the introduction of smokefree environments; and the removal of lead from our petrol.
- We have made world first discoveries with the identification of the mechanism causing kidney cancer in children (Professors Anthony Reeve and Parry Guilford); the discovery of stem cells in the brain and evidence that the human brain can repair itself by generating new brain cells (Professor Richard Faull and his team at the Centre for Brain Research); the identification of the gene associated with antisocial behaviour in males and the gene-environment interaction that predisposes adolescents smoking cannabis to develop adult psychosis (Professors Richie Poulton and David Fergusson and their teams at the Dunedin Multidisciplinary health and Development study and the Christchurch Health and Development Longitudinal study); and a novel peptide that identifies heart-failure at the earliest stage – this discovery has saved thousands of lives and led to the development of new treatment standards that are used the world-over (Professor Mark Richards and his team at the Christchurch Heart Institute).
- Our research has saved the lives of thousands of our babies and young people. Three babies in every 1000 live births survive each year because of HRC-funded research – 20 years ago these babies would have died from sudden unexplained death in infancy. At current birth rates, that’s 200 babies a year (Professor Ed Mitchell). The recent identification of target levels of oxygen for pre-term babies has also greatly improved survival rates of vulnerable babies (Professor Brian Darlow and his team), and HRC research leading to the national and subsequently international withdrawal of the high dose fenoterol inhaler medication to treat asthma in children, has saved tens of thousands of lives globally (Professors Neil Pearce and Richard Beasley).
- We have made valuable savings for the New Zealand taxpayer by identifying the right and most cost-effective treatments. HRC-funded research identified that prescribing calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis increased the rate of cardiovascular events in older women which resulted not only in better health outcomes, but a 66 per cent reduction in calcium supplements prescribed, saving $3.9 million over 5 years, with annual savings likely to accrue into the foreseeable future (Professor Ian Reid). PREDICT software, an electronic decision-support tool for the prediction of cardiovascular risk has led to a significant reduction in health care costs, with District Health Boards estimating the cost-savings to our health system at $300 million a year (Professor Rod Jackson).
- Our research also generates direct economic returns through the development of innovative commercial products, where we have taken early discoveries all the way from patent to patient. These innovative products and treatments include a wireless heart-pump (Professor Simon Malpas); a cooling cap to prevent brain damage in pre-term babies (Professor Alistair Gunn); an award winning e-therapy for youth coping with depression (Professor Sally Merry); a new fast-track cardiac diagnostic tool which has halved unnecessary hospital admissions (Dr Martin Than); a new effective and low-cost treatment for neo-natal hypoglycaemia (Professor Jane Harding); a world-first vaccine for rotavirus; a diagnostic tool for bladder cancer (Professor Parry Guilford); and a new treatment for osteoporosis that is 10,000 times stronger than previously available drugs (Professor Ian Reid).
Dr McPherson says that “whilst there is more to be done, and important questions remain about how best to maintain health and get better outcomes for people with illness or injury, New Zealand has every reason to be proud of what its health researchers are achieving.”
View a summary of the bibliometric report of the quality of New Zealand health research.