Newsletter May 2007
In this edition
- WellChild/Tamariki Ora Week review and evaluation
- Immunisation focus
- Framework review
- Plunket’s 100th birthday
- 2007- 8
Attachments
Welcome to our latest autumnal update –
I hope you all had a successful WellChild /Tamariki Ora Week and are gearing up to focus on Immunisations next - more on that theme later.
Photo courtesy of Whakatohea Iwi social & Health Sevices & WellChild-Tamariki Ora Coalition
WellChild/Tamariki Ora Week review and evaluation
Feedback from the newspaper clippings and reports from the coalitions seems to have been favourable again this year with the usual range of varied activities across the country.
We are aware that having moved the week to March some people weren’t able to access the minigrants in time and also we were not very timely with our information and releasing of the funds - hopefully we will be able to correct that for 2008 and the applications for funding will be sent out in September 2007 so that they can be approved and processed by the end of the year.
We are still waiting on some evaluation forms being returned and reports from coalitions coming back to us - I need the reports to include in my report to the Ministry in July, please.
We will feedback the evaluations when we have them all in - so next time…
In the meanwhile the main issues seem to be:
- Getting the grants out on time - we will work on that one,
- The continued need for resources – we are always on the look out for new suitable resource supplies for coalitions so if you know of some to share or have developed ones you would like to promote let us know.
- Some people found having the week immediately after Children’s day made more work for them - “the same group of people doing it all” – we had hoped that it would have the reverse effect - “the same people doing it once for both events rather than twice”.
- However generally there was a positive response to having the two events back to back so we will be going with the same format next year also - WellChild /Tamariki Ora Week will be 3rd – 9th March 2008
Immunisation focus
There is so much happening in this area at the moment that it is hard to know what to focus on!
We will be sending out separate packs in 2 or 3 weeks time so do let us know if you don’t receive yours by the end of the month.
Photo courtesy of Whakatohea Iwi social & Health Sevices & WellChild-Tamariki Ora Coalition
Latest Data
Latest data from the National Immunisation Register (NIR) shows 80% of New Zealand babies are fully immunised at 12 months of age.
Click here to view a copy of the full press release>>
Click here to view the MoH Immunisation Coverage Data>>
These figures present a welcome increase from previous figures but we need to be doing better to really give our children the protection they deserve –
So any ideas you have on improving coverage are always welcomed.
As Winter approaches we also need to focus on getting the high risk groups of children immunised against influenza and do remember to give serious consideration to recommending the pneumococcal vaccine too for these children with chronic conditions - we will be sending you all out more information on this topic very soon.
Remember also that some people head away as winter approaches and there are often outbreaks of diseases in other countries that we need to be aware of - currently Typhoid outbreak in Fiji and Measles in Japan for example – the Ministry of Health have updates on outbreaks -
Click here to view the MoH update in Fiji>>
Framework review
This continues and there have been a number of focus groups recently.
Some thoughts have been given to re-branding and promoting the checks better and to improve coordination and information systems and I will pass on any information and newsletters as I receive them to help to keep everyone as updated as possible.
Photo courtesy of Whakatohea Iwi social & Health Sevices & WellChild-Tamariki Ora Coalition
2007/08
Minigrants – we will be running these again in 2008 - forms out in September 2007 -
The really good news for you is - we hope to be able to increase the actual amount of the grant this year for the first time - I have to say that we have not had any increase in our budget but we have been looking at ways in which we can use it more effectively and pass more onto the local coalitions.
We have come to the conclusion that we are insufficiently funded to do an effective national media campaign and will look to finding different ways to achieve national coverage (other funding sources, leverage off Childrens’ Day, framework review etc.) and so will be passing some of the media budget onto the local coalitions in 2008 to do more local publicity. We suspect this will be more cost effective in the long run.
2008 suggested themes: We have a number of suggested themes from concerns and projects that we are aware of happening around the country at the moment – we will be finalising the calendar in July so let me know if you have any preferences or other burning issues you would like us to focus on in 2008.
Ideas to date are:
- Oral health
- Hearing (to fit in with national newborn hearing screening)
- Immunisations
- Safety (particular focus on safe use of medications such as paracetamol)
- Nutrition
- WellChild /Tamariki Ora Week 2008 as stated will be following Children’s
- Day on the first Sunday of March so will be 3rd – 9th March 2008.
Photo courtesy of Whakatohea Iwi social & Health Sevices & WellChild-Tamariki Ora Coalition
Resources
Remember that we have banners and flags always available from the National Office and some extra balloons. Stickers and posters can be ordered from the Ministry of Health Educational Resources – www.healthed.govt.nz
Marguerite Dalton , WellChild /Tamariki Ora Week Coordinator
Click here to download a PDF version>>
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