The past two months have seen us actively meeting with and submitting to MPs—both opposition and government parties.
We presented to the Health Select Committee in May on the need for gout arthritis to become a health priority and for a public campaign about the causes and management of gout to align with the pending reclassification of allopurinol, which will make it more accessible for consumers. Our presentation was very well received, not least due to the imaginative gesture of our CEO, Philip Kearney, who used a bag of chips to illustrate his point that allopurinol was as cheap as chips and the importance of an education campaign around managing gout. We continue to follow up with MPs and Health NZ on this issue, and this month, we will see Health NZ respond to our submission to the Committee.
In early June, we met with the Minister of Health, and our focus for this meeting was improving the management of osteoarthritis, particularly the development of a nonsurgical pathway that can greatly enhance both the management and treatment of osteoarthritis.
Once again, we were well received and are now involved in working with Health NZ at the Minister’s request to help further develop this pathway, particularly communicating how it can help people with osteoarthritis.
We are keen to hear from you if you are interested in visiting or communicating with your local MP. We are building a network of MPs with whom we are working to highlight issues that consumers raise with us, whether national or local. We have found consumer stories very powerful in illustrating issues to MPs and are keen to continue gathering these. Our presentation to the Health Select Committee around gout was significantly enhanced by Teariki Tuiono, who has gout. He spoke to the Committee about his personal experience of gout and how good management significantly improved his quality of life.
Our advocacy team can provide support and assistance in helping you link with your MPs.
Call us on 0800 663 463 or email us at info@arthritis.org.nz
Screen shot of the online meeting with the Minister
Teariki Tuiono