66603 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

66603 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter April to June 2024 toward the objective of ‘Lessons: Lessons from COVID-19 are applied across the health system’ under the goal ‘INTEGRATE: We strengthen and integrate resilience across our systems’ within the Strategic Framework for Managing COVID-19?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that in quarter April to June 2024, the Ministry of Health updated the "New Zealand Pandemic Plan: A framework for action”. This is an interim update which broadens the focus beyond influenza to all respiratory type pathogens, incorporates changes to the health system in 2022 and includes some initial lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. A more comprehensive review of pandemic-preparedness strategic planning is underway, which will incorporate relevant lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. This work programme will likely progress many of the key objectives in the Aotearoa New Zealand Strategic Framework for managing COVID-19 (the Strategic Framework). I expect that the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 lessons learnt will also be incorporated into this programme, where appropriate.