72938 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

72938 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter July to September 2024 in the priority area ‘Promote and support careers (including peer workers) in STBBI health and prevention services’ under ‘STRATEGIC DIRECTION 4: Leading for an integrated, supported, consumer-focused system’ 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 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 a refresh of the Needle Exchange Programme (NEP). Work also includes hepatitis B and contracts with other STBBI related non-governmental and community organisations. The goals and objectives in the strategy are intentionally high-level and I expect activities being taken to deliver on the priority action plans noted above to contribute to these over time. Over the quarter July to September 2024, the following activities were progressed, all of which contribute towards implementing the strategic approaches for the STBBI Strategy: • A new Clinical Advisor Sexual Health was appointed in Health NZ to provide clinical advice and leadership to support STBBI and other sexual health work. • There continued to be a strong focus on connecting with Hauora Māori Partners, refugee migrants 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, continued to develop an HIV campaign to challenge stigma and discrimination. • Development of the first HIV Monitoring Plan report. The purpose of the monitoring plan is to support and measure progress towards achieving the goals and targets of the HIV Action Plan. The first report is expected to be delivered in mid-2025. • The NEP Collaborative Change Process was progressed. This process involves the NEP Trusts and other key stakeholders to ensure a more integrated and consumer-focused system. • Training, endorsed by the Nursing Council and the Pharmacy Council, was promoted for nurses and pharmacists wanting to provide hepatitis C treatment without prescription. • Work has 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 develop and deliver the training that is expected to be in place in quarter three 2024/25. • The national ‘Stick it to Hep C’ awareness campaign was relaunched in July. The timing of this campaign relaunch aligned with World Hepatitis Day on 28 July which also included a range of regionally led events across the country to raise awareness of hepatitis C and promote testing and treatment. • The Northern region, in collaboration with The Village Collective and Te Kaha, is developing a social marketing campaign to encourage testing for syphilis in young women.