Maryan Street

The recurring theme of a post-election briefing to the Minister of Health is that prevention and early intervention will deliver the best and most affordable health outcomes for New Zealanders, yet in a direct contradiction to that, the Government has spent its last term stripping funding from the primary health sector, Labour's Health spokesperson Maryan Street says.

"You don't have to be a brain surgeon to know that prevention is better than cure. Unfortunately the National Government appears to have no intention of investing in New Zealanders' health through primary care and prevention.

"It is well known that the best health outcomes are gained by the delivery of integrated services closest to where people are - in their communities and their own homes.

"Yet the Government has seen fit to axe a raft of health initiatives that would have produced long-term health gains, including the Healthy Eating, Healthy Action programmes, annual diabetes checks, and primary health promotion programmes," Maryan Street said.

"Cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease make up 80% of the disease burden for the total population. As the papers say, these diseases are largely preventable, with the major risk factors being smoking, diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol.

"National, however, has focussed on narrow, easily measurable health outcomes - such as increased surgical procedures - rather than tackling the harder, but more cost effective and long-term solutions.

"From dismantling regulations around food in school tuck shops, to scrapping locally delivered physical activity programmes, to not tackling concerns around availability of alcohol, the Government completely ignored the advice of clinicians about what would keep New Zealanders healthier for longer.

"Let's hope that this term it listens to the advice, and recognises the sense in investing in prevention and earlier intervention," Maryan Street said.