3rd Intl. Forum on Common Access to Health Care

27 January 2004
Media Advisory

Third International Forum on Common Access to Health Care, 29-30 January, 2004

Health Ministers and officials from seven countries, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Slovenia, Sweden and United Kingdom, will be in Wellington on Thursday and Friday, 29-30 January, to attend the Third International Forum on Common Access to Health Care. The first two meetings of the Forum were held last year in Stockholm (January) and London (May). The Forum was established, on the initiative of Sweden and New Zealand, as a network of like-minded countries interested in addressing the challenges of providing universal or common access to affordable healthcare. The theme of the Wellington Forum will be primary health care.

Ministers attending: Annette King (New Zealand), Lars Engqvist (Sweden), Dusan Keber (Slovenia), Pedro Garcia (Chile), Lord Warner of Brockley (United Kingdom). Dr Pierre-Gerlier Forest, professor of public policy and management at Laval University in Quebec, is on secondment to Health Canada and is representing Canada. Counsellor Santiago Alcazar, Head of the International Affairs Office, is representing Brazil. An Australian official will also attend as an observer.

The Ministers will meet at Premier House on Thursday, 29 January, and will visit Primary Health Organisation sites in Porirua and Wellington on Friday morning, January 30. There will be a media conference at Premier House at 4.10pm on Thursday.

Media are invited to attend the following events:

Thursday, January 29, 8.30am to 9am: Powhiri, Premier House.

Thursday, January 29, 4.10 to 4.40pm: Media conference, Premier House, all Ministers attending.

Friday, January 30: Site visits at Porirua Health Plus and WIPA.
10.15am-11am: Meet at Öra Toa Cannons Creek Medical Centre, 221 Bedford St, Porirua. We may also visit two nearby health services.
11.30am: Meet at Adelaide Road Medical Centre, Newtown.

ENDS

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