Increasing immunisation rates and reducing the incidences of rheumatic fever are two of four new public service targets for vulnerable children set by the government.
For rheumatic fever, the Government has set the “stretch” target of reducing the incidence of rheumatic fever by two thirds to 1.4 cases per 100,000 people by June 2017 which the plan says will be “challenging to achieve”.
The immunisation target aims to increase and maintain the percentage of eight-month-olds fully immunised from the current 83 per cent to 95 per cent by December 2014 and beyond.
Health Minister Tony Ryall joined Education Minister Hekia Parata and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett this week in announcing the targets outlined in the new “result action plan” for supporting vulnerable children.
The education target is to have 98 per cent of children attending early childhood education prior to school by 2016. The plan does not state what the current percentage is but says each year about 3000 children begin school without early childhood education.
The fourth target is by 2017 to “halt the rise in children experiencing physical abuse” and reduce current assault numbers by five per cent. It also flags that the White Paper for Vulnerable Children, to be released later this year, proposes “significant and wide-reaching change” to the way assaults against children are dealt with.
The Supporting Vulnerable Children Result Action Plan has been created to meet the government priority to “deliver better public services within tight financial constraints”.
