Three weeks ago, I was sitting in the audience in Dunedin’s Town Hall awaiting the Hon David Clark’s address to the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology at their Annual Scientific Meeting.

Three weeks ago, I was sitting in the audience in Dunedin’s Town Hall awaiting the Hon David Clark’s address to the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology at their Annual Scientific Meeting. The new Minister of Health spoke for about twenty minutes to a full auditorium of gastroenterologists, surgeons, and nurses. Most of his address revolved around the unmet needs of people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in NZ. He spoke about Nicole’s petition for toilet access, the importance of Camp Purple Live, and discussed CCNZ’s presentation of the Burden of IBD on NZ to Parliament last year.

The Minister’s address underscores the huge increase in awareness about IBD in NZ over the past few years. And it is through this increased awareness that we will see change. We need access to new medications, particularly new biologicals that are available in almost every developed country except NZ. We need more understanding in the workplace. We need more gastroenterologists and IBD nurses. We need more services and support from our DHBs.

Working for change, however, can be difficult, especially when you are lying in a hospital bed, fighting side effects of medications, recovering from surgery, or just dealing with the stress of living with or seeing a loved one with a chronic illness. Which is why we need to work together, both to fight for change, but, more importantly, to support those who are fighting just to live a normal life.

This coming year we will have two support group leaders, from Wellington and Christchurch, sitting on our Board so we can focus on what we can do locally to support our members. Seventy children and teens will be attending Camp Purple in January and forty parents will be attending the annual caregivers networking seminar. We are extremely excited about the young adult retreat which is being planned for later in the year.

In the coming year, we must do what we can do as individuals to make a difference. Sometimes that simply means focusing on getting well. At other times it is helping those who need our help the most. While CCNZ would not exist without those organisations that have contributed so generously, our success really rests with those who contribute tirelessly through their fundraising efforts and the donation of their valued time.

In closing, I would like to acknowledge Brian Poole, QSM, who started CCNZ eight years ago and, through his vision and hard work, guided the organisation to where it is today. Brian will be stepping down as Co-Chair but will remain a Trustee as well as Deputy Chair of the National IBD Care Working Group.

Wishing you the best for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.