New Zealand COPD Index

New Zealand has the fourth highest score in the Environmental Factors category, mainly due to low particulate matter exposure levels and environmental exposure to COPD risk factors. New Zealand’s Policy Context category score is slightly above average, primarily due to the absence of a COPD strategy and low adherence to care guidelines, despite having the strongest tobacco control policies in the COPD Index. New Zealand scores slightly above average in the Access and Care Coverage category, with good conditions for access to treatment and drugs and diagnostic services, as well as good universal health care service coverage. New Zealand could improve its score in this category with stronger care referral pathways. New Zealand’s score in the Disease Burden category is slightly above average, despite a relatively high estimated societal cost of COPD. New Zealand scores the lowest in the Health System Characteristics category, mainly due to a very high number of annual COPD hospitalisations— the highest in the COPD Index.

You can view the data sources for this country HERE