The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand

About the Hepatitis Foundation
The Hepatitis Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, funded by the Ministry of Health, to provide care for people living with hepatitis B or C.

The Foundation provides national long-term follow-up programmes for people with chronic hepatitis B and C. We offer two programmes.
1. Hepatitis B Follow-up Programme – for people living with chronic hepatitis B.
2. Hepatitis C Standard Programme – for people living with chronic hepatitis C.

Mission
The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand aims to promote positive health outcomes to the people of New Zealand through education and research into viral hepatitis, and early detection and long-term follow-up of chronic hepatitis B and C.

History of the Foundation
The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand has completed many major screening, vaccination and research programmes in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Vietnam during the 30-year history.

In 1984, the newly established Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand, implemented the Kawerau Seroprevalence Study. They tested 93% of Kawerau’s population for hepatitis B. The results showed that the hepatitis B virus was highly endemic.

Nine years later, as a result of the Foundation’s work, New Zealand was the first sovereign nation to introduce universal hepatitis B vaccination for all children.

From 1999 to 2002 the largest national hepatitis B screening programme ever conducted took place in New Zealand. A total of 177,292 New Zealanders were screened with 11,936 people with chronic hepatitis B identified.

The start of the 21st century saw the establishment of the free national long-term follow-up programme at the Foundation. The programme continues today, successfully following up and monitoring over 16,000 people with chronic hepatitis B and over 1,500 people with chronic hepatitis C.

In 2012 the Hepatitis C Pilot was launched in the Bay of Plenty and greater Wellington area.