In May 2006, the government announced that it would fund a newborn hearing screening programme for all New Zealand children.
The roll-out began on 1 July 2007, in three district health boards with existing programmes: Waikato, Tairawhiti and Hawkes Bay.
The Waikato screening programme has now been selected as a finalist for the 2007 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards
These awards are a long-standing joint initiative by the Ministry of Health and ACC. They were set up to celebrate innovative thinking and, often, life changing developments in the health field.
The award winners will be announced in October.
Screening is only one step towards diagnosing and then helping children with hearing loss. But having a universal screening programme means those born with hearing loss will now be offered help earlier in life. This help will come from many health and education professionals and give these children the best chance of achieving their full potential.
The screening programme should be available throughout New Zealand by mid 2010, with the government committing $16 million over 4 years.
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