15495 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

15495 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter October to December 2024 in the priority area ‘Design and deliver community-led comprehensive STBBI prevention, testing and behaviour change initiatives that are evidence-based, culturally safe and targeted to priority populations’ ‘STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2: Results focused health promotion and comprehensive prevention’ as part of the Aotearoa New Zealand Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infection Strategy 2023-2030?

Hon Casey Costello: Published in March 2023, the Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBI) Strategy sets out a roadmap to 2030 to achieve an Aotearoa New Zealand where STBBI are prevented and where all people living with STBBI live long and healthy lives free from stigma and discrimination. Officials from across the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) and Health NZ have developed a cross-agency STBBI work programme to implement the STBBI Strategy with an initial focus on the HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis action plans that sit under it, as well as hepatitis B and contracts with other STBBI related non-governmental and community organisations such as the Needle Exchange Programme (NEP). The goals and objectives in the strategy are intentionally high-level and the Ministry expects activities being taken to deliver on the priority action plans noted above to contribute to these over time. Specifically in the quarter October to December 2024, the following activities were progressed, all of which contribute towards implementing the strategic approaches for the STBBI Strategy. • There continued to be a strong focus on connecting with refugee migrants and asylum seeker groups, Hauora Māori partners, needle exchange services and sex workers to support these communities to be able to deliver future HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. • Procurement documents were completed to expand innovative HIV and STI testing services to priority populations. A request for proposal will commence in quarter three 2024/25. • A working group, primarily involving people living with HIV representing the priority population groups, completed community engagement to test key concepts and gather insights on HIV stigma. This will inform development of an HIV campaign to challenge stigma and discrimination. • In response to the increase in HIV cases in Fiji, officials presented to the heads of Public Service Agencies in Fiji to provide insight on the management of HIV in New Zealand. Health NZ is also working with stakeholders to raise awareness of HIV amongst the Pacific population in New Zealand and increase HIV and STI testing. • Training, endorsed by the Nursing Council and the Pharmacy Council, continued to be promoted for nurses and pharmacists to provide hepatitis C treatment without prescription. • The HIV Monitoring Plan was published in June 2024 to support and measure progress towards achieving the goals and targets of the HIV Action Plan. Work is underway to develop the first HIV Monitoring Report. This report is expected to be delivered mid-2025. • Work to develop a teaching package for midwives on syphilis and other STIs has progressed with consultation with subject matter experts. The New Zealand College of Midwives is working in collaboration with Ngā Maia Māori Midwives Aotearoa and Pacific Midwives Aotearoa/Moana Connect to deliver the training. • Work commenced on preparations for procurement to identify a provider to develop a national campaign to raise awareness of syphilis and promote testing in sexually active heterosexual people. The campaign aims to address the increasing rates of syphilis in New Zealand and the associated cases of babies being born with congenital syphilis.