798 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 35

Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Youth Affairs to develop and support a strategy to improve the health of New Zealand’s young people.

Women’s health

The Government is committed to the development of services for well women. In particular, the HFA should work with the Ministry of Health to assist:

• Completion of the evaluation of the National Cervical Screening Programme by the Ministry of Health;

• In providing advice to the Government on extending the range of women eligible to participate in the National Breast Cancer Screening Programme.

Older person’s health

The Government is committed to ensuring that the health system is responsive to the needs of older people. The HFA should work with the Ministry of Health to ensure that older people have access to programmes which help to maintain health and wellbeing.

Disability support services

The HFA should work with the Ministry of Health to develop the Government’s strategy for support services for people with disabilities.

A more immediate priority for the HFA is to ensure that caregivers have access to adequate respite care and day care services.

Diabetes

The high prevalence of type-2 diabetes amongst certain groups of New Zealand’s population is of great concern to the Government. Also alarming is the risk factor profile within parts of our population. The Government will consider appropriate targets as part of the New Zealand Health Strategy.

New Zealand’s diabetes strategy provides a comprehensive approach to addressing the prevention and control of diabetes through controlling risk factors (obesity, smoking, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia), early identification and effective clinical management.

It is important for the HFA to continue to implement its disease state management plan. However, the HFA should also work with the Ministry of Health to develop a comprehensive action plan, based on the Ministry of Health’s Strategies for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes, to prevent and control type-2 diabetes in New Zealand.

Oral health

The Government is committed to restoring New Zealand’s comprehensive and successful dental health care system.

The HFA should work with the Ministry of Health to ensure that our dental health services and our oral health status improve significantly, and that disparities between Māori and non-Māori oral health are reduced. A more nationwide co-ordinated approach is needed for the delivery of dental services to children. Revision of the General Dental Benefit also needs to commence.

Sexual and reproductive health

The HFA should work with the Ministry of Health to develop and implement a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health strategy. The strategy will include:

• Sexual and reproductive health services as a public health service;

• A comprehensive free specialist sexual health service available close to the community;

• Sexually transmitted disease control to ensure that at-risk groups have access to effective education programmes;

• Disease control of HIV/AIDS as a sexually transmitted disease;

• An emphasis on effective and available services for Māori, Pacific peoples and young people.

Migrants and refugees

The HFA should work with the Ministry of Health to further develop and implement comprehensive approaches to improving the health of migrants and refugees.

Dated at Wellington this 26th day of March 2000.

ANNETTE KING, Minister of Health.

1Existing strategies that need to be considered during the development of the New Zealand Health Strategy include, Whāia te Ora mo te Iwi, youth suicide prevention strategy, national drug policy, strategies for the control and prevention of diabetes, breast cancer control strategy, child health strategy, sexual and reproductive health strategy, Moving Forward the national mental health strategy, and the maternity services strategy. The listing of these strategies is not intended to imply any specific priority to the identified service areas.

Ministerial Direction Under Section 25 of the Health and Disability Services Act 1993

This letter is to issue a Ministerial Direction, under section 25 of the Health and Disability Services Act 1993, to the Health Funding Authority to fund the beta interferons for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Following consideration of your letter of 17 December 1999, I am satisfied that I have sufficiently consulted the HFA on this issue.

I accept the advice offered and hereby issue the following direction.

Under section 25 of the Health and Disability Services Act 1993, I direct the Health Funding Authority to fund the beta interferons.

This direction requires the funding of the beta interferons to be based on the targeting criteria set out in the PHARMAC briefing dated Friday, 10 December 1999.

Dated at Wellington this 17th day of December 1999.

ANNETTE KING, Minister of Health.

Medical Practitioners Act 1995

Appointment to the Medical Council of New Zealand

Pursuant to section 124 (d) of the Medical Practitioners Act 1995, I appoint

Dr Deborah Read

as a member of the Medical Council of New Zealand for a term of office expiring on 22 March 2003.

Dated at Wellington this 3rd day of April 2000.

ANNETTE KING, Minister of Health.