History of the Foundation

Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand (HFNZ) is a charitable trust contracted to Health New Zealand to provide a health-monitoring programme supporting people living with hepatitis B.

Founded in 1984, the foundation implemented a study in Kawerau that saw 93 percent of the town’s population tested for hepatitis B. The results showed the hepatitis B virus was highly endemic, with many young children the main source of infection. Nine years later, as a result of that work, New Zealand was the first sovereign nation to introduce universal hepatitis B vaccinations for all children.

With our head offices located in Whakatāne, HFNZ looks after 19,000 patients nationwide, including 1300 in the Bay of Plenty, with community hepatitis nurses working across the country.

Why are we here?

Hepatitis B is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. It is serious and can lead to liver scarring or liver cancer. It can also be fatal if not managed properly. An estimated 94,000 people in New Zealand have hepatitis B but, because there are often no symptoms, many of them don’t know they have it. They need people to focus on them, to educate them about the virus, its risks and how it can be managed, and that’s where we come in.

We exist to support people living with hepatitis B, raise national awareness of it and help reduce its incidence in NZ. We strongly believe in health equity; everyone has a right to treatment, care and support, regardless of their culture, background, age, occupation or gender. We strive to engage with all communities in culturally sensitive ways and work together to achieve positive health outcomes. Our services have been developed with that in mind.

We provide a long-term monitoring programme to help improve health outcomes for people living with chronic hepatitis B. Through this Ministry-of-Health-funded programme we care for New Zealand residents living with hepatitis B. The programme includes:

Access to community hepatitis nurses
Access to specialist care if needed
Regular blood tests
Liver assessment, including a fibroscan (ultrasound)
Resources and information about hepatitis B, testing and treatment
Advice and support
A hepatitis helpline.

Regular monitoring is very important in the management of hepatitis B. Everyone living with the virus requires long-term monitoring and six-monthly blood tests. As part of the programme we will organise your six-monthly blood tests and ensure you get the right care and support to reduce the impact of the virus.

Enrol with us

You can enrol in our hepatitis B monitoring programme by:

Contacting us
Completing a self-referral form
Meet with a health provider, who will discuss and arrange your referral to us. Health professionals can also complete online referrals.

* The Privacy Act 1993 regulates all information gathered by us. It also guides standards relating to how we collect, use, hold, disclose, access and dispose of your personal information.