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Strategic Team Hui 2024

What a fantastic couple of days at our recent Strategic Team Get together in stunning Whakatāne & Ohope! This was not just a meeting; it was about making real strides to improve the lives of individuals and Whānau impacted by Hepatitis. Reaffirming our commitment to supporting achievement of the World Health Organisation's goals for Hepatitis Elimination by 2030, our Board Chair, William Rainger kicked off our hui by sharing key messages about our vision, purpose and strategy. We...

A Resounding Success: Recap of the Goodfellow Symposium 2024

We had a fantastic time at the Goodfellow Symposium 2024, held March 22-24 at the Due Drop Centre in Manukau. The symposium was a great opportunity to connect with primary care physicians and specialists, exchange ideas, and build lasting relationships.We were able to deliver Hepatitis B education and updates, answer questions, and share our HFNZ resources. It was an informative and engaging event for everyone involved.Here are some highlights from the symposium:Over 672 delegates attended the s...

New Website Launch

We've revamped our website to make it easier to find the information you need.The new website features a streamlined design, improved navigation, and easier access to resources for patients and healthcare professionals.We encourage you to visit the new website and let us know what you think....

Successful day at Chinese New Year Festival in Tāmaki Makaurau

The 2024 Chinese New Year festival was a fantastic experience for the members of our community nursing team and the Maori Liaison Coordinator who attended. About 200 people visited our liver health stand and the feedback was very positive with over 110 entries into our hamper prize draw. We hosted the Stick it to Hep C team on our stand as well. The team distributed blood test forms, conducted point-of-care testing and formed relationships with many people who would like follow-up informat...

New Chief Executive for The Hepatitis Foundation

The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand is delighted to announce the appointment of new Chief Executive, Sarah Davey. With an extensive background in healthcare and a passion for making a difference in the lives of those affected by hepatitis, Sarah brings a wealth of experience and expertise to lead the foundation into the future.As the leading national non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people living with hepatitis in New Zealand, The Hepatitis Foundation plays a cruci...

Running for Hepatitis

On Sunday Josie and Natalie ran the Auckland Marathon in the foundation's name to raise funds for awareness of Hepatitis B. Their goal is $3000. Josie says "I’ve decided to focus on something I can try and make change with and raise money for the Hepatitis B Foundation, a cause very close to my heart after a difficult month. Natalie and I are running over the Harbour Bridge in Auckland on Sunday, an 11km traverse as part of the Auckland Marathon”Josie has had a close family member recently p...

Hepatitis B and COVID

Many people with hepatitis B have questions about how COVID-19 can affect them. The below FAQs contain useful information about risk, treatment and vaccinations. Please contact us if you have further questions.Hepatitis B and COVID-19Do I have a higher risk of catching COVID if I have hepatitis B?No. There is no evidence that people with hepatitis B are at higher risk of catching COVID-19. Please follow official health advice on keeping safe and stopping the spread ...

Healthy Exercise

Regular exercise has plenty of health benefits, no matter what age, size or shape you are. For people who have or who are at risk of liver disease, it’s an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Here are five reasons why exercise is good for you. It keeps your weight down Physical activity helps you maintain weight loss and avoid gaining too much. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. If you’re...

Recognising our nurses' hard work

Today we’re joining the International Council of Nurses in celebrating nurses everywhere. Especially our wonderful community hepatitis nurses, Lynnaire, Helen, Jillian, Becky, Emily, Nicola, Lee, Christine and Selena(not pictured), who work tirelessly to support New Zealanders with liver conditions, and they do a fabulous job ensuring people get the help and advice they need.Thanks, we really appreciate everything you do.#IND2023 #VOICETOLEAD...

New edition to the Community Nursing team Christine Barea

Christine Barea was born in Matamata. She has been a registered nurse for 33 years and has had the opportunity to travel and work in various countries, including the USA.Christine has experience working in different areas of nursing, such as ICU, Cardiology, Surgical and Endocrinology, and for the last 10 years, she worked as a District Nurse in Cambridge where she enjoyed her role in the community.She is not afraid of change and finds it stimulating. Christine looks forward to working for the H...

Life just got easier for a Whakatane High School student beginning Health Science next year

Mia Shepherd has won a Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand scholarship, which will contribute $10,000 towards her study over three years. The foundation will also provide a mentor to support Mia during her studies.Mia has been accepted into The University of Otago’s 2023 Bachelor of Science, Health Science first-year programme.  “I am very passionate about Science and love to be around and help others where I can. Therefore, I am really keen to have a career in either Medicine or Pharma...

Hepatitis Foundation wrap up for 2022

This year has been another busy one for us, with our clinical team reviewing 1016 patient cases and 2998 calls coming through our helpline. There have also been 683 people with hepatitis B referred to us, 32,791 patient emails and letters sent, and 23,177 blood test forms provided to patients. Our nursing team has done 326 fibroscans.Over the past year we have focused on encouraging patients to receive blood test forms and results by email, saving money on postage and making the process more sec...

Fielddays 2022 with Hep C Community Service

The Hepatitis Foundation joined forces with Hep C - Community Service, to attend Fieldays 2022. There was a whole Health and Wellbeing section that was well attended with health experts and organisations in one area.Check out the photos of our staff and stand, and Helen even performing our new Point of Care finger prick testing....

New Nurse joins Hepatitis Foundation in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland)

This month sees Selena McCloskey join the Hepatitis Foundation. After graduating as a nurse in 2006, Selena spent many years working as a Staff Nurse at Starship Children’s Hospital, initially in general paediatrics before specialising in paediatric cardiology.Bureau nursing after the birth of her second child afforded Selena the opportunity to join Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) during the 2019 Measles outbreak in Auckland. Early 2020 saw the emergence of a new virus of conce...

Hepatocellular carcinoma screening in people with chronic hepatitis B

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most serious common complication of hepatitis B (HBV). International data suggests a lifetime risk of about 15 percent, and this increases with age. While many cases occur in people with cirrhosis, some arise in non-fibrotic livers as a result of HBV integration into the host cell genome.Diagnosis of HCC following clinical presentation has a poor prognosis: less than five percent of people in these cases survive past five years (El-Sarag & Davila, 2011)....

Interpretation services for cultural communication

The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand (HFNZ) strives continuously to engage with patients from different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities and demographics. Its multicultural team helps with this, ensuring patients can connect with clinical and administrative staff members who can identify with and understand them.The foundation’s new partnership with Australian-based organisation Connecting Now has enhanced its patient connection abilities. Founded in 2002 to help communities connect in th...

New Nurse Manager internal promotion for Jillian White

We are pleased to announce that Jillian White (Tuhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Arawa) one of our Community Nurses has been promoted to Nurse Manager. Jillian has been a Hepatitis Community Nurse covering Waikato & Lakes Districts for the Hepatitis Foundation for the past 6 years. Specialising in Chronic Hepatitis B, working in partnership with patients along with primary and secondary care to ensure best practice and health engagement for all our patients.Jillian has a specific interest in ...

Dr Wayne Bai choses to support patients with Hepatitis

During his medical training, Dr Wayne Bai was asked to review a Chinese man in his late 30s who’d just been diagnosed with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The man’s condition was due to untreated chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and Wayne says it was a devastating situation for him and his family with a newborn. It was also avoidable. “Liver cancer is a preventable disease thanks to hepatitis B (HBV) immunoglobulin at birth, HBV vaccination and direct-acting antivirals,” Wayne says. �...

New testing for Hepatitis B

The point of care (POC) finger prick testing, introduced by the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand (HFNZ) is the first of its kind for hepatitis B in NZ. It’s easy to use and less invasive than blood tests, and is highly accurate.  Hepatitis B is often called a silent disease as there are often no symptoms until liver damage occurs, so people may not know they have it. Māori, Pacific Island and east Asian people are considered high risk, as is anyone with a mother or close family member...

Welcome to our newest Community Nurse Emily Huang

Flexibility and autonomy are highlights of Hepatitis Foundation of NZ nurse Emily Huang’s role, along with helping patients live healthier lives. Emily works with the foundation’s other Auckland-based nurses to cover the city and wider area. She started in May 2022 and says she’s enjoying the role so far. “This job draws on my previous experience working in a GP practice. There’s a lot of virtual and phone interaction with patients in this job, which is related to my previous role...

World Hepatitis Day 2022

Today, World Hepatitis Day (WHD) launches with the campaign theme ‘I Can’t Wait’. On WHD, the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) joins together with its global network of 320 members in 100 countries to lead the campaign internationally to accelerate the fight against viral hepatitis.The ‘I Can’t Wait’ campaign theme builds on the previous Hepatitis Can’t Wait global campaign, and highlights the social injustice and inequity caused by the current lack of action on hepatitis elimin...

Dr Chris Moyes receives his ONZM, for services to health

Dr Chris Moyes has been Medical Director of the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand for many years in addition to his work as a paediatrician, and this year was awarded The New Zealand Order of Merit. He received the honour at the Wellington Investitures held on 10 May 2022.In the 1980s, he played a key role in researching hepatitis B (HBV), as children in parts of New Zealand had high infection rates. As a result, the Ministry of Health introduced an HBV immunisation programme for children.He w...

Helen Purcell has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit

At the end of May our community nurse Mrs Helen Purcell, of Kawerau, was presented with her MNZM for services to public health nursing. Having been awarded it in the New Years' honours. Helen Purcell helped set up an STD Clinic in Whakatane and was the infection control nurse for tuberculosis.She was the hepatitis community nurse with the Hepatitis Foundation. She helped the Foundation drive purpose-built caravans around the North Island to test people and provide follow-up care and support...

Introducing Lucy Rio

Whakapapa – Taranaki – Ngā Rauru, Aitutaki – Cook Islands.Born and raised in the heart of Tūhoe. Tāneatua, WaimanaLucy took on the newly created Māori Engagement Co-ordinator this year. The role was identified by the foundation as imperative to be able to engage and collaborate with Health Providers and Iwi Authorities to deliver the service provided by The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand.With a work plan established, Lucy was able to start with a blank canvas as to how to approach...

Appreciating our community Nurses

Today we’re joining the International Council of Nurses in celebrating nurses everywhere. Especially our wonderful community hepatitis nurses, Lynnaire, Helen, Siaw Ling, Becky, Jillian, Nicola and Diane, who work tirelessly to support New Zealanders with liver conditions, and they do a fabulous job ensuring people get the help and advice they need.Thanks we really appreciate everything you do.#IND2022 #VOICETO LEAD...