DA N A’ S
ME S SAGE
/ Regulars
Staying connected It was heart-warming to see how RESILIENT our coeliac community was over the LOCKDOWN.
T IS FAIR
to say that we are forever changed by the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting steps that governments around the world took to try and eliminate the spread of the disease. It also demonstrated the importance that we as a nation place on health and caring for our fellow Kiwis – and why health promotion to ‘save lives’ is so important. Whilst Coeliac New Zealand’s work towards reducing the impact of coeliac disease on individuals and families’ lives is much less dramatic, it does provide some learnings about the importance of education in raising awareness. It also shows why informing the public about how to recognise, diagnose, and treat health issues early is so important. The experience of living through a national shutdown also provided Kiwis with the opportunity to spend valuable time in their bubble whether that was with flatmates, parents, siblings, children, or a partner. It was heart-warming to see how resilient our coeliac community was over the shutdown and to hear about the creative ways that many of you maintained social connection and
stayed physically and mentally fit. We thank you all for supporting CNZ as we too adjusted to working remotely from home. I encourage you to continue to stay connected online and via our social channels, and to help us celebrate Coeliac Awareness Week during June 14-20. I hope that you enjoy this issue of Coeliac Link which covers the full breadth of CNZ’s efforts – from educating healthcare professionals and the food and hospitality industry, to raising awareness and promoting early diagnosis, to providing support and understanding for those living with the disease. ____
Ng mihi.
Dana
DANA ALEXANDER Editor, Coeliac Link
coeliac.org.nz | 5
S P R EAD TH E W O R D AB O UT O U R SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL We’re delighted about the reaction to our online self-assessment tool, launched in 2018 – around 4,500 people have already used the interactive tool to see if they are at risk of having coeliac disease. We encourage you to share the Online Self-Assessment card (pictured above) to raise awareness among your friends, wider family and members of your community. By doing this, you’ll be supporting our vision of helping ensure people with coeliac disease are diagnosed quickly, live healthy lives and have a prospect of a cure – especially since there are more than 55,000 Kiwis who are not yet diagnosed. Handing out the cards is a way of giving people confidence to open a discussion about coeliac disease with their own GPs. It may also help others understand a little better what it’s like to have coeliac disease for you. •••
If you would like cards to hand out, please contact admin@coeliac.org.nz and we’ll send them out to you.
