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Great news this week that New Zealand's largest mass immunisation programme of 1.15 million young people (aged 6 months to 20 years) is expected to start in August to protect NZers against Meningococcal disease, this is fantastic news. It shows that a small country can pro-actively respond to a serious public health issue caused by a terrible disease. It is a tremendous achievement.
Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection. It causes severe illnesses including:
1. meningitis (an infection of membranes that cover the brain)
2. septicaemia (a serious infection in the blood).
The government announced the $200 million meningococcal vaccine project in January 2002 to fund development of a specific vaccine to combat New Zealand's strain of meningococcal group B bacterium. The disease has killed 220 New Zealanders and affected thousands of other young people since 1991. The Meningococcal B Immunisation Programme will begin within weeks in Auckland. It will then be rolled out across the country over the next year.
If you want to know more about Meningococcal Disease and the new programme there are two good websites www.beehive.govt.nz and www.immunise.moh.govt.nz/MeningococcalDisease.html or ask your local doctor for details.
People in Wairarapa and around New Zealand now have a free comprehensive online career guidance planning tool, KiwiCareers Pathfinder. Rural communities, caregivers and others who may have difficulty accessing the traditional career information, advice and guidance services will benefit. KiwiCareers Pathfinder is provided by the government agency Careers Service. It will also be a helpful and easily accessible tool for people considering a career change.
KiwiCareers pathfinder guides the user through steps in the career decision-making process with supportive and informative articles. The user completes a range of activities about themselves, from which potentially suitable career options are generated. It is suitable for students, young people making the transition to work, people who are in employment, without paid work or returning to work, and people interested in further training or education to upskill themselves.
This package includes the establishment of a new transitions service for young people leaving school which will provide customised support and career planning, working with local employers, training and education providers. It also includes a two-year Designing Careers pilot programme in 75 schools which will see all Year 10 students preparing an individual learning and career plan with assistance from their parents, careers advisor and form teachers.
Pathfinder can be accessed by logging onto www.kiwicareers.govt.nz.
Couples undergoing fertility treatment can now receive a second cycle of IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation). Additional funding will be provided to DHBs on an ongoing basis from 2004/2005, which will be available to couples who are assessed as meeting the agreed eligibility criteria and whose first treatment cycle did not result in a live birth. It is anticipated that about 90 per cent of patients who have completed one unsuccessful cycle of treatment will choose to undertake a second cycle.
Improvements in IVF techniques have led to a marked increase in conception rates, with about 43 per cent of women aged 37 years and under achieving a successful pregnancy as a result of their first IVF cycle - up from 25 per cent in 1999. Each year, more than 3500 people are referred for fertility services, with about 70 per cent of them going on to receive treatment. This will be welcome news for many couples who want nothing more than to have their own baby.
A telecommunications service for Deaf, hearing impaired and speech impaired people is now on track for a November start after the government confirmed a supplier - an agreement has been negotiated with Sprint International New Zealand. Ensuring that Deaf and hearing impaired New Zealanders can fully participate in society is a key focus of our government and this is a significant step towards achieving that.
The Service will open up a world of communication which has not been accessible to many New Zealanders. Users will be able to apply for a textphone before the TRS (Telecommunications Relay Service) is operational so that consumers can be ready to make calls.
TRS works with an intermediary assistant who relays and clarifies phone calls between a hearing or speech impaired person and a hearing person. The assistant speaks words to a hearing person that are typed by a hearing impaired person on a textphone. The relay assistant also turns the hearing person's response into type back to the hearing impaired person.
Information on how to apply for textphones will be provided to the Deaf Association, Hearing Association and other disability organisations soon. For more information visit: www.med.govt.nz/pbt/telecom/trs/index.html
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