“New Zealanders have once again been let down by Budget 2022’s support for health research” New Zealanders for Health Research (NZHR) Chief Executive Chris Higgins said today.

“Health research and innovation is the single most important way in which we improve our health and healthcare – by identifying and implementing the best means to prevent, diagnose and treat conditions.

Yet direct government investment in health research continues to track at only 0.8% of government health care costs – in contrast to very good evidence that the government should be investing at least 2.4% of its health system costs into health research” said Mr Higgins

“The additional $10m per year allocated for RNA research, and new Ministry of Health funding of $23m for “health science research, leadership, analysis and publishing quality evidence, data and insights”, are both very welcome developments” said Mr Higgins “but we must invest a lot more to discover effective treatments and cures for the 7000 per year New Zealanders who are dying early from non-preventable causes, thus being denied the opportunity to experience the Budget’s promised “secure future” and live well to a ripe old age”.

“It’s particularly concerning that Health Research Council (HRC) funding has effectively remained unchanged for yet another year, and we once again call on the government to commit to investing an additional $37m per year for the next ten years in the HRC and other health research channels to achieve a level of investment which enables New Zealand to deliver significantly better health outcomes”

“New Zealanders have seen the life-saving value of health research in the country’s science led response to the Covid 19 pandemic, and it would have been an ideal opportunity for the Government to have leveraged this sentiment in its latest “wellbeing” budget”.

“The health system needs to be informed by the results of health research now more than it ever did” said Mr Higgins. “While it’s encouraging to see that the latest version of the health reforms legislation includes health research as a function of both Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority, it’s discouraging to see health research unsupported in those agencies’ budget allocations”

“It’s difficult to see how the health reforms will be successful in saving lives and improving health outcomes without properly funded health research being firmly embedded within the health system to ensure a best practice approach to both staying well and to being treated if and when we become sick”

“We’re struggling to understand the logic of allocating significant additional funds to the reformed health system while at the same time starving it of the health research investment which will be key to making the reforms work” Mr Higgins said.

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For further information and requests for interviews contact NZHR chief executive Chris Higgins on 027 292 8433 or [email protected] .

New Zealanders for Health Research (NZHR) is New Zealand’s peak body representing the entire health and medical research pipeline. We are committed to bringing about best possible health for all New Zealanders through increase investment in health research as an essential and embedded component of all parts of New Zealand’s health system. We are an alliance supported by universities, clinical research organisations, and organisations representing both the philanthropic and commercial sectors. For more information visit https://www.nz4healthresearch.org.nz/