We value our well-being:
It’s worth whatever it costs

Our population is growing and changing and it’s the health and mental health systems that have to ensure we all get the care and support we need from the moment we’re born, whenever we’re unwell. It’s a tough ask, and so it’s important that government reviews their systems to understand what changes are necessary, to address persistent inequities in our national health outcomes. Only recently, reviews recommended significant transformations to our health and mental health systems.

But while attention’s getting paid to the systems treating us when we’re sick, what about the things that keep us well? Wouldn’t it be amazing to see a world designed to keep you from getting sick?

Getting started on the recommendations made by those system reviewers is now challenged by the pressures of managing a pandemic. Under Covid 19 and lockdown, we saw many in the health and care workforces ill-equipped with what they needed to test and trace the pandemic’s spread, support and de-escalate public fears, or even protect themselves adequately from the disease. We also saw the health crisis turn quickly into an inequality crisis, as many without adequate savings to afford resilience in a lockdown, suffered tremendously from job disruption and loss of income.

Children and young people inside these homes endured material hardships, and many young people dropped out early from school to get a job to help out. Many with longterm illnesses were held up from their usual healthcare, or their prescriptions were disrupted, because of the pandemic’s new pressure the system. As a nation, we weren’t prepared, and these youngsters paid the price.

More than ever, we need to focus on prevention measures, and promotion of how to stay well. We need to add these public health values to the health and mental health systems, because our well-being is valuable, and can be assured through child-centred policy and regulations, and more funded public health services.

Before we ever get sick, we can have a system that delivers our well-being:

• Evidence-based quit services and addiction support, particularly for young people, particularly wahine hapu

• Stop children and young people’s exposure to the targeted marketing of unhealthy foods, alcohol, prescriptive medicines and sugary drinksEnsure healthy foods are affordable and accessible for low-income communities

• Ensure healthy foods are affordable and accessible for low-income communities

• Foster “BrightSpots” and Whanau Ora: community designed and led whanau/young people-centred health promotion initiatives and programmes

• Support caregivers and community support providers working with children and young people who have mental here will be more support for caregivers and community support provalth needs or disabilities

• More innovative supported living options for families with members who have long-term health or mental health needs, so that the costs of 24/7 care is not their burden alone

This election, we encourage all New Zealanders to engage candidates with the following questions, then vote for those that answer YES!

1. Will you introduce more quit services and addiction support, particularly for young people, particularly wahine hapu?

2. Will you stop children and young people’s exposure to the targeted marketing of unhealthy foods, alcohol, prescriptive medicines and sugary drinks?

3. Will you increasing funding and support for community designed and led whanau/young people-centred health promotion initiatives and programmes?

4. Can you assure there will be more support for caregivers and community support providers working with children and young people who have mental health needs or disabilities?

5. Will you invest in innovative supported living options for families with members who have long-term health or mental health needs, so that the costs of 24/7 care is not their burden alone?

6. Will you remove the annual renewal fee for people relying on the Pharmacy card for long term prescriptive medicines?