23. A study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal (27 July 2018), found 23 per cent of women who took part in the Growing Up in New Zealand study continued to drink in their first trimester and 13 per cent continued drinking after the first three months. 24. To properly identify, plan and budget around the size of the population affected by FASD within the New Zealand context, research into its prevalence here is needed. We understand that the Ministry of Health did not participate in the World Health Organisation prevalence study. The 2016-2019 FASD Action Plan: A good Plan with Little Action on Support 25. Some parts of the 2016-2019 FASD Action Plan have been implemented including things such as: • • • • A national social marketing campaign aimed at building social support for drinking less and reducing hazardous drinking among young adults; Key messages for consumers and health professionals developed to raise awareness of the harms of alcohol consumption during pregnancy; Online resources developed for frontline professionals to improve their knowledge and strategies to address FASD and; Pregnancy and parenting services established in three pilot locations for pregnant and postpartum women experiencing alcohol and drug (AOD) issues. 26. Some actions relating to training clinicians in the use of FASD diagnostic tools has also taken place, but progress has been hampered by resource constraints. 27. Oranga Tamariki report that it expects FASD to be the disability type most common amongst the population of tamariki they work with. Oranga Tamariki note they are undertaking research on disability and working to build competencies amongst frontline staff to better respond to the needs of those with FASD, including the recruitment of a Regional Disability Advisor with a speciality in FASD. 28. The FASD-CAN report at appendix one notes that “Every person who provided a response said that the 2016-2019 FASD Action Plan had not contributed anything positive to them or their family”. This is most unfortunate. 29. For a child with FASD to live well, their primary caregiver also needs to be supported to live well. Families describe that the stress of raising children with FASD can be seriously detrimental to the health and well-being of the parent-caregiver. Lack of funding 30. The only new money we are aware of for implementing the Action Plan is $7.6m over three years for some FASD related initiatives arising out of a successful bid by the Ministry of Health (in partnership with agencies such as Oranga Tamariki) to the Proceeds of Crime Fund. 31. The initiatives aim to improve diagnostic capability, reconfigure existing child development support, improve support to parent children with FASD and to undertake research on what an effective system wide approach to FASD would look like. Some work to co-design and program manage an approach to FASD is also underway. 5