A sponsored data partnership between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and mobile network operators Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees ensures Kiwis won’t incur mobile data charges accessing essential Covid-19 information.  

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the partnership means people who use pre-paid mobiles can continue to access important health and wellbeing information, even if they run out of paid-for-data.  

“During lockdown, health providers and organisations that provide mental health services quickly moved to connect with their communities online. This is likely to continue to be a popular option for many, especially young people and those who live in remote locations.” 

Anyone using the mobile networks of the country’s largest telecom providers can now access 11 key health websites and two GP portals free of data charges:  

• www.covid19.govt.nz 
• www.health.govt.nz 
• www.healthnavigator.org.nz 
• www.booksonprescription.co.nz 
• www.depression.org.nz 
• www.thelowdown.co.nz 
• www.choicenotchance.org.nz 
• www.managemyhealth.co.nz 
• www.health365.co.nz 
• www.allright.org.nz 
• www.mentalhealth.org.nz 
• www.myexperience.health.nz 
• www.zerodata.plunket.org.nz.  

All mobile data charges for these websites will be charged back to the MoH until June 2021, with six monthly reviews to confirm extensions to the initiative.