Ministry of Health news article - 13 September 2019
The Ministry of Health was a three-time winner in the Spirit of Service Awards achieving the Prime Minister's Award for the Healthy Homes Initiative, which also won the Better Outcomes Award, and the Leadership in Governance Award for Enabling Good Lives.
The Healthy Homes Initiative involves a collaborative approach led by the Ministry of Health with Housing New Zealand, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and Auckland Council, DHBs and local providers across much of the North Island.
It aims to reduce the number of hospitalisations due to housing-related conditions by increasing the number of children living in warm, dry and healthy homes.
Research to be released next week shows that working with whānau to ensure their house is warm, dry and healthy, for example installing insulation, curtains and providing adequate heating, results in fewer medicines dispensed to children, fewer GP visits and fewer children admitted to hospital.
Enabling Good Lives, which won the Leadership in Governance Award, offers disabled people greater choice and control over the supports they receive, so that they can plan for the lives they want.
The Award recognised the vision and hard work of the disability community in working with Government to champion and lead the Enabling Good Lives approach.
Regional Public Health's Well Homes is one of the nine HHI’s, and works with whānau across the greater Wellington region.
