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Story: Public health

Public health units

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Public health units

Regional public health services were delivered by 12 public health units (PHUs), which were owned by district health boards until these were replaced by Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand and Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority in 2022. Non-governmental organisations also delivered some of these services. PHUs concentrated on major public-health services, such as tobacco control and health promotion. This map shows the boundaries of the PHUs in 2011.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Ministry of Health

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, Public health – What is public health?, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/31357/public-health-units (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 18 April 2011, reviewed and revised 7 July 2019 with assistance from Richard Edwards.