Government has no plan for poverty-related illness

Government has no plan to combat poverty-related illness

Research on rheumatic fever rates in Northland shows the need to guarantee health essentials for all New Zealanders, the Green Party said today.

“Rheumatic fever is endemic in New Zealand which means poverty is endemic in New Zealand,” Green Party health spokesperson Kevin Hague said.

“It is simply appalling that we have such high rates of a disease that most other developed countries have wiped out.

“A major contributing factor is that some families cannot afford to take their children to the doctor or heat their houses sufficiently during winter. We have a major income inequality gap.

“Inequality hurts everyone, the children with rheumatic fever, their families, it puts unnecessary strain on the health system.

When asked by the Green Party to explain some of the Government’s initiatives to tackle rheumatic fever, Mr Ryall said that changes to primary care and immunisation schemes would solve the problem.

Mr Hague said that the best way to combat rheumatic fever was to address the underlying cause: poverty.

“When I challenged Mr Ryall he floundered. He did not have a coherent answer.

“The first step is to reduce income inequality, reduce household crowding, and build better quality homes — guarantee the essentials for everyone in New Zealand,” Mr Hague said.

“Next is increasing vigilance for strep throat, providing good access to primary care for everyone and treatment with penicillin. The last resort should be heart surgery.

Mr Hague said that the Green Party’s Mind the Gap package, launched earlier in the year, would be a good starting point for the Government to address these issues.

“Introducing an In-Work Tax credit for all low-income families and a tax free $10,000 would free up some money to allow families to afford to go to the doctor, buy healthier food, and heat their houses adequately,” Mr Hague said.

LINKS
Hansard transcript
http://bit.ly/greenshealth01

Video of Kevin Hague’s Question to the Minister
http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/3279

Release from Northland DHB
http://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/media-releases/media-releases/health-workers-in-partnership-targeting-rheumatic-heart-disease-in-far-north.html

Mind the Gap
http://www.greens.org.nz/mindthegap

ENDS