Politicians from across the party spectrum today
expressed broad support for a cross-party approach to Long
Covid, ME/CFS and related long-term health conditions. They
also acknowledged inequities in current support and care
systems.
The latest New Zealand Health Survey
estimates that around 185,000 New Zealand adults experienced
Long Covid symptoms in 2024/25 – 4.3
percent of adults.
Centred on questions from
people living with Long Covid, ME/CFS and other chronic
conditions, the online panel
discussion was hosted by Long Covid Support Aotearoa
(LCSA) and Sick and
Tired Aotearoa, with support from Manawatū People’s
Radio.
The panel brought together four sitting MPs
from across Parliament – Green Health Spokesperson Hūhana
Lyndon, ACT Health Spokesperson Todd Stephenson, NZ First
Education Spokesperson Andy Foster, and Labour Health Select
Committee member Ingrid Leary – alongside Opportunity Party
leader-candidate Qiulae Wong.
The National Party was
invited to participate but did not attend or respond to the
invitation. As the largest party in the current Government,
its participation would have been particularly valuable
given the significant number of New Zealanders living with
Long Covid, ME/CFS and other long-term health conditions.
LCSA hopes to see the National Party engage constructively
on these issues in future.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
The discussion covered
disability support, access to healthcare and specialist
pathways, prevention and clean air, welfare and financial
support, and what political parties could do to improve
outcomes for people living with chronic
illness.
Panellists expressed empathy and concern
about the significant, life-limiting impacts of Long Covid
and ME/CFS, with several sharing personal connections to
people living with these conditions. Several also spoke
about the need for greater understanding and expressed a
willingness to learn more, while acknowledging inequities in
current support and care systems.
Renee Dingwall, a
former Palmerston North City Councillor who is now
housebound and uses a wheelchair due to Long Covid,
facilitated the panel.
“We were pleased to hear
candidates express broad support for a cross-party approach
to Long Covid, ME/CFS and related long-term health
conditions,” she said. “There is a precedent for this
approach with other conditions, including rare disorders,
and we hope to see that same willingness to work together
here.”
“While research is continuing, people are
already living with significant disability and there are
treatment and management approaches that can help with
symptoms. The priority now is ensuring people can access
appropriate care and that emerging evidence is translated
into practice”, Dingwall said.
Long Covid Support
Aotearoa Chair Larisa Hockey said the group is calling for
five key actions:
- Count Long Covid and
its impact – measure how many people are living
with Long Covid and ME/CFS, and the health and economic
costs - Recognise Long Covid and ME/CFS as
disabilities – enabling appropriate access to
Disability Support Services - Strengthen
health pathways – provide specialist support and
ensure health professionals have up-to-date
knowledge - Invest in prevention –
including clean air measures in schools and healthcare to
reduce new Long Covid cases - Commit to a
National Action Plan for Long Covid and
ME/CFS.
The group plans to collaborate
with ANZMES, the National Advisory on ME, to help progress
action for these and related conditions.
“People
living with these conditions have waited long enough for a
coordinated response,” Hockey said. “We welcome the
willingness shown by panellists to listen and learn. The
next step is turning that willingness into meaningful
action.”
About Long Covid Support
Aotearoa:
Long Covid
Support Aotearoa is a nationwide group of
patients who came together online from 2020 to help each
other and to advocate for recognition, support and
care
© Scoop Media
Discussion about this post