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The Ministry of Health has launched a new working group to tackle the spread of sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases and viruses, including syphilis, HIV and hepatitis C.
A free, publicly available testing programme for syphilis needs to be made available in South Auckland to help tackle the epidemic, an expert says.
Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall says she s aware frontline specialists are struggling to react to South Auckland s syphilis epidemic.
Photo: LAWRENCE SMITH / STUFF / LDR
Dr Massimo Giola is a member of the New Zealand Sexual Health Society s executive and a practising physician, and said many people were still being charged a consultation fee when tested for the disease by their GP. Particularly in areas like South Auckland, why don t we look at some form of subsidy? he said. We should be making the services as accessible as possible like we did with testing for Covid-19.
“We should be making the services as accessible as possible like we did with testing for Covid-19. “Personally I see this as a public health issue. If people do the right thing they shouldn’t have to pay for it.” Parliament’s health select committee has raised concerns about the growth of syphilis in south Auckland and the need for extra funding for primary and sexual health services to stop its spread. A report released in April as part of its annual review of the Counties Manukau District Health Board said 40 percent of syphilis cases in New Zealand were in the Counties Manukau area.