SOGISC 36. The SOGISC community reports significant difficulties and delays accessing health services and an absence of targeted funding or initiatives to address outcome disparities in key areas such as mental health and addiction services. For example, media reports indicate that waiting lists for gender reassignment surgery are many decades long.39 37. There has been some good progress made towards implementing the Committee on the Rights of the Child’s concluding observations following New Zealand’s 5th Periodic Review in relation to intersex children. This has included a collaborative approach between government representatives, healthcare professionals and members of the intersex community to implement a rights-based approach to health care for intersex children. Recommendation 8 That the Government work in partnership with the SOGISC community to identify and address barriers to access and delivery of health services, including delays in accessing health care. Addressing the health impacts of climate change 38. Climate change has been identified as one of the biggest threats to improving health disparities, in particular with regard to children’s health.40 A coalition of New Zealand public health professionals has addressed this issue in the New Zealand context, reporting that those at highest health risk from climate change in New Zealand include Māori, Pasifika, children, elderly and low-income people.41 39. The coalition concluded that measures to address climate change have the potential to widen or reduce existing health inequities, depending on design and implementation.42 They accordingly have called for improved health sector planning to prepare for the health impacts of climate change, implementation of measures that prioritise and protect groups likely to be worst affected, and the routine undertaking of Health Impact Assessments (HIA) in the development of key climaterelevant policies.43 14