Stewart Barbara: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Stewart Barbara: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:620;Page:15656] 
3.  
BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What concerns does she have if any regarding Ministry of Health chief Pacific health adviser Debbie Ryan’s reported comments: “the statistics made grim reading and showed the health system was failing Pacific children.” and what is she doing about this? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Associate Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Health 
: The comment was made in response to a media question and honestly recognises that health services have not worked as well for Pacific people as we would all like. The article failed to explain however that  
Tupu 
OlaMoui: Pacific Health Chart Book 2004 
 which is a stocktake of Pacific peoples’ health is a summary of the use of health services over the past 10 years. It does not attempt to cover key health service initiatives that are currently addressing the health needs of Pacific children. 
Barbara Stewart 
: Will the Minister accept after 5 years as Minister of Health and given the health budget available that there is no excuse for the fact that Pacific children in New Zealand are almost three times as likely to get meningococcal disease twice as likely to fail the school entry hearing test five times as likely to get rheumatic fever and more than six times as likely to get tuberculosis when compared with the rest of the population? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I think the needs of Pacific Island peoples in terms of their health is a serious issue that all Governments have the responsibility to address. But let me remind the member when she mentions meningococcal disease that the Minister of Health has been primarily responsible for initiating a magnificent programme in which the Government has invested $250 million for meningococcal vaccination. That has had a very high take-up rate by the Pacific Island population—I am advised it is something like 95 percent. I think the Minister should be congratulated on that account. 
Dianne Yates 
: What other policies has the Government put in place to address disparities in the health system? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: We have established primary health organisations in which more than 95 percent of Pacific people have enrolled. Primary health organisations will enable improved access to a wide range of appropriate health services—something that the report identified as a big issue. I have already indicated to the House by way of example the $250 million investment by this Labour-Progressive coalition Government in the meningococcal vaccination programme. 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: Does the Minister accept that her Government has failed over the last 4½ years to improve some of the basic preventive interventions for Pacific children given that she has repeatedly been unable to tell me what percentage of children complete their immunisations and the report notes an estimated coverage of only 50 percent at 2 years of age for Pacific children? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: No I would not accept failure. I accept that this area needs considerable Government investment and I know that in the last 3 years and going on into the fourth year this Government has invested a further $3000 million in the health system. Much of that funding is aimed at the most vulnerable citizens in the community which of course includes Pacific Island children. 
Barbara Stewart 
: What evidence does the Minister have that the numerous Pacific Island health providers contracted by district health boards around the country at a cost of millions of dollars to the taxpayer are doing anything to address the appalling Pacific Island health statistics? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I would have thought the member would be pleased that Pacific Island peoples just like organisations that take responsibility for Maori health care are taking their future into their own hands. They are participating in health care and are developing educative programmes as well as preventive health-care programmes. That is a very good example of how the future looks a lot brighter than the past did.