Research, Reports & Articles
Rodger Wright Harm Reduction Network has extensive experience in data analysis, research and evaluation, including partnering with tertiary research institutions. Our Research Coordinator and National Harm Reduction Lead have led or partnered with various research studies, including authoring/co-authoring peer-reviewed publications.
“From Pilot to Practice” - Scaling a peer‑led kaupapa māori Hepatitis C micro‑elimination pathway in a New Zealand correctional facility (Anderson, Hopwood, Noller 2025–2026).
Indigenous health equity gaps: Māori experience disproportionate impacts from hepatitis C due to systemic barriers, culturally insensitive services, and historical inequities. Addressing these gaps requires targeted, culturally safe interventions.
Hepatitis C transmission risks in prisons: Prisons are high‑prevalence environments with elevated risk factors such as injecting drug use, tattooing, and other unsafe practices. Limited access to comprehensive healthcare further increases transmission pathways - READ
Harm Reduction and ‘new recovery’: unintended consequences of a policy shift on an Aotearoa NZ Needle Exchange Service (George, Lines, Mulliss, Bradshaw, Noller, 2026)
Locating Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSPs) within, or visibly associating them with, abstinence‑ and recovery‑oriented services can create barriers for people who inject and use drugs (PWID/PWUD). These barriers can persist even when the NSP operates from a physically separate site, because communities still recognise which organisation provides the service. Recovery‑oriented environments may expose active injectors to stigma, surveillance, and forced visibility, leading to avoidance or delayed care. This reduces access to sterile equipment and naloxone, increasing reuse, unsafe injecting, blood‑borne virus transmission, overdose, and untreated injection‑related infections - READ
Both presentations above were peer-reviewed for the International Network for Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users Conference.
Increase Risk Behaviours Report (Noller, 2026)
Geoff Noller is an honorary research fellow from the Department of Primary Health Care & Rural Health at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago.
The report describes narrated and observed changes in risk behaviours of People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) attending Rodger Wright Network’s harm reduction services in Te Waipounamu, following the transition of the needle exchange programme to the new NEP provider (Te Waipounamu Collective), commencing in October 2025.
The purpose of this report is to openly share the information Rodger Wright Harm Reduction Network has with Health NZ to support its decision-making and problem-solving processes - READ
An explorative study on how Needle Exchange Programme service users construct health (Knudsen, Zoe Frances, 2026) Needle Exchange Programme (NEP) service users construct health through a practical, harm-reduction lens that prioritises immediate physical survival, risk management, and agency over traditional definitions of total abstinence or clinical perfection. A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology – Health Psychology Subject, at Massey University - READ
What’s the hype with peptides and are they safe? (University of Auckland, University of Massey’s Shore & Whāriki Research Centre, Rodger Wright Harm Reduction Network, 2026) Science Media Centre, Expert Q&A about the risks of buying peptides online, including National Harm Reduction Lead from DISC Trust, Jason George - READ
Injecting-related injuries experienced by people who inject drugs in New Zealand: impact, healthcare access and stigma (Potter, Noller, Pillay, Crossin, 2026) NZ Medical Journal - READ
The University of Otago teamed up with the Rodger Wright Harm Reduction Network to study injecting-related injuries. We surveyed fifty seven clients and also interviewed ten clients and staff members at the Rodger Wright Centre in Christchurch, and DIVO in Dunedin. We are very grateful to the clients and staff at DISC Trust and thank you for trusting us with your stories.
Otago Daily Times covered the findings, “Injuries spur call for more needle exchange funding”.
Providing safe smoking kits could reduce harm from meth use – but NZ law won’t allow it (Whelan, J, 2025) The Conversation - READ
The New Zealand Drugs Harm Ranking Study, (Crossin et al., 2023), Journal of Psychopharmacology
Needle exchange staff perspectives and knowledge about the injection of performance and image enhancing drugs, (Ponton et al., 2022), Drug & Alcohol Review
NZ Needle Exchange Programme Cost Benefit Analysis Report (Keen, D & Weston, E, 2021) - PDF 790 KB
Point of Care rapid testing for hepatitis c antibodies at NZ needle exchanges, (Noller & Bourke, 2020), NZ Medical Association Journal
Pharmaceutical opioid changes risk overdose increase in New Zealand, (Ponton & George, 2020), NZ Medical Journal
Injecting drug use among gay and bisexual men in New Zealand, (Saxton et al., 2020), Drug & Alcohol Review
Illicit Drug Injection In New Zealand: Detailing The Process To Reduce The Harms, (Ponton et al., 2019), Drug & Alcohol Review
Potential risk for fatal drug overdose perceived by people using opioid drugs, (Deering et al., 2018), Drug & Alcohol Review
Our Research Coordinator has also led Aotearoa’s last three seroprevalence surveys of NZNEP PWID clients, including the last national seroprevalence survey
Northern Region Seroprevalence Survey, (eight North Island sites), 2023
Targeted Testing Pilot (three South Island sites), 2017
2013 National Seroprevalence Survey