60208 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

60208 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What progress, if any, was made in the quarter April to June 2024 to ‘Improve the detection and management of hepatitis B and C’ under Outcome 3: New Zealanders have fewer cancers, as part of the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan 2019 – 2029?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that during the April to June 2024 quarter, several initiatives were progressed. These included: • An online training programme to support the reclassification of Maviret for nurses and pharmacists was completed and endorsed by the Nursing Council and the Pharmacy Council. • In preparation for World Hepatitis Day in July, events were planned across the country to raise awareness and promote testing and treatment. • Work was completed to re-launch the national ‘Stick it to Hep C’ awareness campaign in July. • The HepC Support and Treatment service (HCSAT) continued to support complex patients at risk of being lost to follow up within the Northern Region. • The HCSAT team worked with Awanui Labs to develop a process to ensure HepC patients with venous access issues get access to the most skilled phlebotomists at various community labs. Implementation has included HepC awareness training with Awanui staff. • The Hepatitis B national follow up programme run by the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand (HFNZ) continued to monitor 20,000 active patients, helping them to live well with hep B and reducing the incidence of liver cancer.