A report by the World Health Organisation says social inequities are killing people on a "grand" scale.
The report says the poor health of a majority of people in the world is due in large to a toxic combination of bad policies, economics, and politics.
It notes the importance of improving daily living conditions at the start of life.
Otago University health inequalities research programme director Tony Blakely says key issues for New Zealand include closing the gap between the rich and the poor.
He says another is the need for New Zealand to honour its commitment to donating 0.7% of GDP to international aid.
