26 October 2022 | News
Annual Report describes New Zealand’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as continuing to be one of the best in the world
image credit- shutterstock
Ministry of Health in New Zealand has outlined major results of the organisation’s latest annual report. Highlights in the Ministry’s 2021/22 annual report include more than 1.4 million influenza vaccines were distributed and the equity gap for Māori aged over 65 was reduced to 4.4 per cent from 8.4 per cent in the previous year.
The National Bowel Screening programme completed its nationwide rollout and provided free screening to 835,000 New Zealanders aged between 60-74. Since its inception in July 2017 to the end of June 2022 the programme has distributed 1 million test kits, identified 1,422 cancers and removed thousands of pre-cancerous polyps.
Funding 166 cochlear implants, nearly double the 86 funded the previous year, significantly improving the quality of life for individuals with a severe hearing loss or profound deafness. These highlights, and much more of the work delivered by health and disability services, were carried out at the same time as the country was also responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.