King commends efforts to implement NZ Health Strategy
Health Minister Annette King says the second annual report on implementing the NZ Health Strategy illustrates a real
commitment to progress.
"Implementing the New Zealand Health Strategy 2002 makes it clear that District Health Boards and healthcare providers
are embracing the New Zealand Health Strategy through many exciting initiatives.”
Ms King said that the NZHS - published in 2000 - contained 61 population health objectives, 13 of which, such as
improving nutrition, and reducing incidence of diabetes, obesity and family violence, were chosen for priority
implementation.
“Today's report contains case studies outlining just a few initiatives that have been taken over the past two years to
meet these challenges.”
Ms King said some examples were:
Tackling obesity and teaching children and their families about nutrition, health and exercise is the aim of South
Auckland-based South Seas Kids childhood obesity programme.
Kaipara Care, based at Northland's Dargaville Hospital and funded by Northland DHB, was established to co-ordinate
health services for people and communities in its region. It has 36 member providers, including rest home operators and
pharmacists and has successfully carried out asthma, diabetes, nursing, immunisation and older people's care projects.
Waisting Time, a healthy lifestyle programme for women in Temuka and Timaru, provides robust evidence-based information
to help participants change eating patterns and increase physical activity.
"The NZHS priorities relate to deep-seated, and not quick-fix, problems. That’s why this report focuses on service
development rather than overnight successes, and I’m sure next year's report will show even more progress," said Ms
King.
Copies of Implementing the New Zealand Health Strategy 2002 are available on the Ministry of Health website
www.moh.govt.nz or by contacting the Ministry.
For more information, contact John Harvey (04) 471 9305 or Zoe Priestley (04) 470 6851 or Kim Purdy at the Ministry of
Health (04) 496 2483 Questions and Answers
What is the New Zealand Health Strategy? The NZHS was published in 2000 and emphasises a health system based on
co-operation, a system that puts people at the heart of health care.
The NZHS sets the platform for the Government's action on health. It highlights the priorities the Government considers
to be most important. Those priorities reflect diseases such as diabetes and cancer as well as factors that influence
health such as smoking and nutrition.
A NZHS is required under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. The Act also requires the Minister of
Health to report annually on progress in implementing the NZHS, and the annual report must be presented to the House of
Representatives and made publicly available.
The NZHS calls for the health sector to work co-operatively towards common goals rather than competing for the largest
share of the health dollar. The combined goals must be improvement in the health of communities, reduced inequalities in
health outcomes and the highest quality care for sick or disabled people, within the money available.
What are the 13 objectives chosen for implementation of the NZHS in the short to medium term? reduce smoking improve
nutrition reduce obesity increase the level of physical activity reduce the rate of suicides and suicide attempts
minimise harm caused by alcohol and illicit and other drug use to individuals and the community reduce the incidence and
impact of cancer reduce the incidence and impact of cardiovascular disease reduce the incidence and impact of diabetes
improve oral health reduce violence in interpersonal relationships, families, schools and communities improve the health
status of people with severe mental illness ensure access to appropriate child health care services, including well
child and family health care and immunisation
To assist DHBs to focus their efforts, the Minister of Health agreed to work on seven key service priorities over 18
months from 2001. These were chosen for their ability to impact on a wide range of priorities and objectives outlined in
the strategy.
They are:
achieving Maori advancement in health through implementation of He Korowai Oranga (The Maori Health Strategy) the
development of a comprehensive primary health care coverage and quality primary health care services through the
implementation of the Primary Health Care Strategy implementing the New Zealand Disability Strategy promoting an
improvement, through reducing inequalities, in the health status of those currently disadvantaged reducing the impact
and incidence of diabetes through the continuing implementation of the Diabetes Strategy reducing waiting times for
public hospital elective services through the continued implementation of the Elective and Scheduled Services Policy
improving the health status of people with severe mental illness through continued implementation of the mental health
Blueprint
What was the first annual report on implementing the NZHS about? This report - tabled in Parliament in December 2001 -
addressed each of the 13 population health objectives and the different priorities chosen to assist the implementation
of the objectives. At the time of the first report's release, it was less than a year after the release of the NZHS. At
that time, DHBs had only been in place a short while, and were concentrating on their establishment. As a consequence,
the report focused mainly on the activities of the Ministry of Health in preparing advice for DHBs and other healthcare
providers.
What is the second report about? The 2002 report contains more detail about how DHBs and other healthcare providers have
developed ways to achieve the objectives and priorities of the NZHS. It also contains information on the seven key
service priorities for achieving these objectives and priorities.