About the Ministry of Health website
Help ordering and downloading publications

• Ordering a publication
• Downloading a publication
• Converting PDF files to HTML
• Updating Acrobat Reader
• Help with Microsoft Office documents

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Ordering a publication

Not all Ministry of Health publications are available in hard copy - some are only available on the web. You can find the availability status of each publication on the document's individual web page.

If hard copies are available you can order a copy from the Ministry's storage and distribution centre directly from that page by email. Please give your physical and postal address, contact details and a phone number.

Otherwise, you can telephone (04) 496 2277
or write to:
Ministry of Health Publications
c/- Wickliffe Press
PO Box 932, Dunedin
New Zealand
or email moh@wickliffe.co.nz



Downloading a publication

PDF Files

Most of our publications are published on the internet as Adobe Acrobat PDF files for downloading to your computer. The size of PDF files is given so that you can estimate the length of time it will take to download them. PDF stands for Portable Document Format, it is used to retain the look and style of the original document.


Viewing a PDF

To view and print the document you want, click on the PDF icon or the link to the PDF. To read a PDF file you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader for free from the Adobe website.

You can then open, read and print the PDF from your computer. When viewing a PDF, you can use the search function (represented by the binoculars icon) to find key words within the document.


Copying text from a PDF

Most PDFs on this website have been saved so that the text in them can be copied into another application.

To do this, open the PDF, and from within the Adobe Acrobat menu at the top of the document choose the icon shaped like a T with a dotted square box next to it. This is the Text Select Tool, which will change the cursor from a hand into a vertical line.

Alternatively in some versions simply press the letter V on your keyboard and this will activate the Text Select Tool. If you cannot see the T icon, right click with your mouse in the area of the page where there are other icons (in the grey area underneath the File, Edit, Document etc menus).

When you right click on a PC this should bring up a list of options, click on the option 'Basic Tools' so that a tick appears next to it. The Text Select Tool icon should appear in the top left area of the Acrobat application (next to the icons of a hand and a magnifying glass). Once you have chosen the Text Select Tool and the cursor has changed from a hand to a vertical line you may then move to the text you wish to select and highlight it. Then either press control-c or go to the Edit menu and select Copy. You can then paste the text into another application.


Copying tables, graphs, diagrams and photos from a PDF

Unless copying has been disabled, you can copy the above types of illustration from PDFs and paste them into other documents or save them as jpeg or gif files using the Graphics Select Tool.

The icon for the Graphics Select Tool is usually found next to the Text Select Tool icon. It is a square and a circle surrounded by a dashed line square. Alternatively in some versions simply press the letter G on your keyboard. This will change the cursor into a cross-hairs shape.

If you cannot find the icon, follow the same steps above to make the icons appear in the bar underneath the menus. Once the icon has changed to a cross-hair you can then move to the illustration you wish to copy and select it by moving the cursor over it to form a dotted square or rectangle. Then either press control-c or go to the Edit menu and select Copy. You can then paste the contents into another application.


Download and install Acrobat Reader

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader or go to the text-only Adobe Acrobat Reader download page if you have a screen reader or need an earlier version of Acrobat Reader.



Convert PDF files to HTML pages

If you would prefer to convert a PDF file to a web page, go to the Adobe converter page and follow the instructions.



Having problems downloading PDF files?

Please email the Web Manager with the link to the PDF you are having problems downloading (copy and paste it from your browser address bar).


Accessibility

Adobe have a web site with information about PDF access for people with visual disabilities.


Updating Acrobat Reader

The Ministry uses Adobe Acrobat 5.0 to publish PDF files to the web, however wherever possible the PDFs have been saved as versions that are compatible with Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 and above. The Ministry recommends users download Acrobat Reader 5.0 if they can't open a PDF file in their own version of Acrobat.


Microsoft Office 2000 documents

Some of the documents on our website have been created in Microsoft Word 2000, Microsoft Excel 2000, and Microsoft Powerpoint 2000. If you do not have these packages, you can download free viewers from Microsoft.

Word
Download free Word 2000 viewer

Excel
Download Viewers for Excel 2000

Download free Excel Viewer 2003

PowerPoint
Download free Powerpoint 2000 viewer