Questions on health, including mental health, and health services - Children’s Convention from the United Nations
Please provide information about the current extent of accessibility for children to adequate health services, including age-appropriate mental health services, across the State party’s territory, and about measures taken to:
Question 22(a)
- Reduce the prevalence of preventable and infectious diseases, especially for Maori and Pasifika children and children living in poverty;
Reply to 22(a)
The National Immunisation Register enables health professionals to improve immunisation rates in New Zealand. The Register also provides a record of immunisation coverage rates – regionally and nationally. Funding has recently been approved to redevelop the register as a National Immunisation Solution to support a potential COVID-19 vaccination programme and the ongoing maintenance of National Immunisation Programme going forward. Improvements will support more equitable delivery of immunisation programmes across the lifespan.
The COVID-19 outbreak and response has placed pressure on immunisation services, resulting in a modest decrease in immunisation rates in recent months that has disproportionately affected Māori. However, a change to the delivery of both doses of MMR vaccine in the second year of life, and a campaign to vaccinate an under-immunised cohort of teenagers and young adults, will protect against future outbreaks.
Rheumatic fever is particularly prevalent for children living in poverty. MOH works with 11 DHBs across New Zealand with high incidences of rheumatic fever to reduce the transmission rate of this disease among children. This includes measuring immunisation coverage to identify groups at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases and to evaluate the effectiveness of programmes designed to increase immunisation coverage.
The introduction of the Healthy Homes Standards in 2019 outline required standards under tenancy law for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties.
During the winter months, MSD pays the Winter Energy Payment to all households receiving a main benefit or New Zealand Superannuation/Veteran’s Pension. This payment was introduced as part of the Families Package. It helps families meet the cost of heating in winter, and thereby prevent diseases caused by cold and damp homes.
Question 22(b)
- Promote a healthy lifestyle for adolescents and reduce the prevalence of children exposed to secondhand smoke;
Reply to 22(b)
In 2011, the Government adopted the Smokefree 2025 goal for New Zealand. The intention is to achieve this smokefree status by:
- protecting children from exposure to tobacco marketing and promotion
- reducing the supply of, and demand for tobacco
- providing the best possible support for quitting smoking.
A decision was made in 2019 to amend the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 to prohibit smoking in vehicles carrying children under the age of 18. This will reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke.
The amendment to the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 also included that schools must display ‘no smoking or vaping’ notices and retailers must not display smoking or vaping products.
Healthy Active Learning is a Wellbeing Budget 19 initiative promoting and improving healthy eating and physical activity in schools and early learning services across New Zealand. This is a joint initiative from the MOH, MOE, and Sport New Zealand.
School Based Health Services (SBHS) provide holistic healthcare and mental wellbeing support including promoting healthy choices to young people.
Question 22(c)
- Provide sexual and reproductive health services and education to children in view of the still high rate of teenage pregnancy and the increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases;
Reply to 22(c)
MOH funds a broad range of sexual and reproductive health services, programmes and initiatives. Services are delivered through general practice, hospitals, and other community-based service providers such as New Zealand Family Planning, laboratories, specialist fertility services, and health promotion providers. Schools and other government agencies also undertake work in this area.
Read information and resources on sexual and reproductive health
Relationships and Sexuality Education is compulsory learning in The New Zealand Curriculum from years 1–10 (ages 5–15) and covers education on sexual and reproductive health, including contraception and sexually transmitted infections. MOE recently released refreshed Relationships and Sexuality Education resources for both primary and secondary schools to ensure Boards of Trustees, principals and teachers have clear and up to date guidance for expected learning in this area and information on how to create safe, healthy, and inclusive school environments.
Question 22(d)
- Increase the number of infants up to 6 months of age that are exclusively breastfed, in particular among Maori infants;
Reply to 22(d)
New Zealand Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Infants and Toddlers (0-2 years) recommend to exclusively breastfeed babies until they are ready for and needs extra food – this will be at around six months of age.
Breastfeeding data is collected by lead maternity carers and Well Child providers, such as Plunket. These groups also provide education and support in promotion of breastfeeding.
In July 2020, the duration of parental leave payment was extended to 26 weeks, from 18 weeks in 2018. This policy aims to support child and maternal health and welfare, including the recommended period of six months breastfeeding, by providing a period of absence from work of at least six months after the birth of a child.
Question 22(e)
- Provide mental health and counselling services to the children in Canterbury affected by the earthquakes and to the children affected by the mosque attacks in Christchurch.
Reply to 22(e)
Mana Ake – Stronger for tomorrow is an initiative led by the Canterbury Clinical Network that provides mental health and wellbeing support for children in the Canterbury region. Mana Ake was launched by the Government in February 2018, with funding for three years (to June 2021) to deliver dedicated mental health support for children aged 5–13 in school.
Mana Ake enabled a quick response to emerging wellbeing concerns in the aftermath of the 2019 Mosque Attacks and worked remotely to provide support for children during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Mana Ake practitioners deliver group or individual interventions to address emotional regulation, social relationships and/or wellbeing concerns, that are evidence-informed, culturally relevant, suitable for their local contexts at low cost.
MOH published a National response and recovery plan to support people affected by the Christchurch Mosque attacks. Supporting and treating mental distress, including that of children, is one of the expected outcomes outlined in the recovery plan. Key counselling services include:
- Umed, a virtual counselling service created in response to the mosque attacks. The model allows clients to choose a mental health professional with specific language and cultural capacity for their mental health needs.
- National Telehealth Service 1737.
All Right? is a health-promoting social marketing campaign based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Since its launch in 2013, All Right? has become a powerful champion for wellbeing in Canterbury, helping normalise conversations around wellbeing and mental health.
