48446 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

48446 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter April to June 2024 in implementing the strategic approach to improving equity: ‘use Te Tiriti and equity first prioritisation approaches to prioritise its actions and initiatives’ 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.    Over the April to June 2024 quarter: - There continued to be a strong focus on connecting with Hauora Māori Partners; refugee, migrant, and asylum seeker groups; needle exchange services; and sex workers to support these communities to be able to deliver future HIV testing. - Funding continued for community-based providers, including a kaupapa Māori HIV service provider, to deliver innovative approaches to expand HIV, syphilis and other STI testing capabilities. - A working group, primarily involving people living with HIV representing the priority population groups, continued to develop an HIV campaign to challenge stigma and discrimination. - Online hui and in-person workshops were held in May 2024 for the NEP Collaborative Change Process, which aims to ensure a more integrated and consumer-focused system. - Training, endorsed by the Nursing Council and the Pharmacy Council, was launched for nurses and pharmacists wanting to provide hepatitis C treatment without prescription. This follows the reclassification of the treatment for hepatitis C from prescription-only to availability without prescription through specially-trained nurses and pharmacists working together. - Work commenced on the development of a teaching package for midwives on syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections. 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 that is expected to be in place in quarter two 2024/25. - A range of events were planned across the country to raise awareness of hepatitis C and promote testing and treatment. This included the re-launch of the national ‘Stick it to Hep C’ awareness campaign from July 2024. The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand also prepared events to raise awareness and help improve health outcomes for people living with hepatitis B.