Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:639;Page:8959] 
7.  
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Has he been informed of comments made yesterday by Diabetes New Zealand president Murray Dear that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has rocketed ahead of official predictions and there will be a severe impact not only “on the suffering of thousands of people with severe diabetes complications but … across the whole health system as funds are dragged from other areas of need to stem the demands of diabetes.”; if so what is his response? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Acting Minister of Health) 
: 
 Yes I am aware of the comments made and the modelling by Diabetes New Zealand which are a welcome and useful addition to our understanding of the future challenges that the incidence of diabetes will provide to all of the world’s developed nations. Paradoxically it is important to stress that the increase in the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes is due in part to the fact that our improved screening processes have identified that more people are suffering from this disease than previously and that they can now receive treatment and lifestyle advice to prevent complications. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: What plans are in place to ensure the Government will invest an additional $50 million to prevent and treat diabetes as recommended by PricewaterhouseCoopers if the country is to avoid the massive future cost of preventing and treating diabetes such as that involved in heart failure blindness circulatory problems and amputations? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: A range of initiatives is in place that looks particularly at obesity which is the single biggest cause of about 30 percent of the increase in diabetes. The Healthy Eating - Healthy Action initiative of the Ministry of Health has been applauded by a number of international medical publications including  
The Lancet 
 from the UK. 
Barbara Stewart 
: Does the Minister believe that taxpayers got value for money from the recently ended 3-year $4.26 million Maori diabetes prevention study organised by Auckland University’s Waikato clinical school; if so why? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I cannot give the member a specific answer to that but I can say that there has been a 29 percent increase in the Maori “Get Checked” figures—that is the figures of Maori detected with diabetes in the last 3 years. I think that that is a pretty good significant result. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: So what response will the Minister offer to the 15000 Maori people who are reported to be feeling ripped off and betrayed by the canning of the $4.26 million diabetes prevention study managed by Auckland University’s Waikato clinical school—a project funded by the Ministry of Health the Health Research Council of New Zealand and two district health boards—which aimed to respond to the crisis situation that 40 percent of Maori are expected to develop type 2 diabetes with 5 percent of that number dying each year? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: All studies have a beginning and an end and I cannot comment on the fact that 4 years have gone by with this particular study. But I can say that the incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in every developed country as a result of changes in lifestyle and ageing populations. New Zealand however compares very favourably with other countries of a similar social and economic background. I think that that in itself indicates that New Zealand is up with the play and is doing everything reasonable in this area at the present time. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Has the Minister seen comments from Waikato District Health Board member David Gilgen that criticised the failure of the Waikato clinical school’s Maori diabetes prevention strategy saying that Maori felt patronised and used as second-class citizens; and what assurances can the Minister give that ethical standards will be reviewed to ensure that future research does not exploit Maori for the benefit of the researcher and not for the people as appears to have happened in this instance? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: No I have not seen those comments. All I can say is that in my experience of the health system in New Zealand high ethical standards are maintained pretty consistently.