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IBD and Crohn’s & Colitis Resources for New Zealand

New Zealand has a high and rising rate of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with around 20,000 New Zealanders living with these conditions.

19,566 New Zealanders with IBD (2021–22)
1,407 new diagnoses (2021–22)
391.4 people per 100,000 with IBD (2021–22)

Need to talk to someone? Call Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand’s IBD Helpline on 0800 ASK IBD (0800 275 423). It doesn’t publish its phone hours. For health advice at any time, call Healthline free on 0800 611 116 to talk to a nurse or paramedic. In an emergency, call 111. If you feel very unwell, see when to get urgent help. If you’re struggling to cope, call or text 1737 at any time, or see other crisis lines.

IBD in New Zealand

New Zealand has a high and rising rate of IBD. A national study published in the Internal Medicine Journal identified 19,566 New Zealanders living with IBD in 2021–22, or 391.4 per 100,000 people, with similar rates of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. There were 1,407 new diagnoses that year, or 28.1 per 100,000 people. Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand estimates that around 20,000 New Zealanders live with these conditions, a number expected to keep rising.

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Getting care in New Zealand

Where to start. If you think you might have IBD, start with a GP, who can arrange tests and refer you to a specialist. For free health advice at any time, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 to talk to a nurse or paramedic. Healthify has plain-language information about IBD.

Paying for medicines. Pharmac decides which medicines are publicly funded in New Zealand. Several specialist IBD medicines are funded for people who meet its criteria, through a Special Authority that your doctor or IBD team applies for. Pharmac publishes its funding decisions, such as its April 2025 decision to widen access to medicines for several conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease. Funded prescriptions from GPs, public hospitals and other approved providers usually cost up to $5 an item, and some people pay nothing, depending on their age or a Community Services Card. A prescription can last up to 12 months, and you pay only when you first collect it, not for each repeat. A prescription from a private specialist outside the public system can cost $15 an item for adults. Once you or your family have paid for 20 prescriptions since 1 February, you get a Prescription Subsidy Card and pay nothing for new prescriptions until the next 1 February: ask your pharmacist.

Work and money. Eligible employees get 10 days’ paid sick leave a year; Employment New Zealand explains who qualifies. If IBD affects your work or adds to your health costs, Work and Income may be able to help, for example with a Disability Allowance towards extra costs. Your doctor fills in a Disability Certificate for it. If you have to stop work because of your health, Work and Income explains the support you may be able to get, such as Jobseeker Support.

Family and carers. If you’re supporting someone with IBD, see help for family and carers, including support for carers themselves.

What this page covers. New Zealand’s national IBD and stoma organisations, the national gastroenterology society, shared Australia and New Zealand research, and online communities. It isn’t a list of local services: Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand’s local support groups and your GP are the best route to those.

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National Organisations

Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand

National organisation serving all of New Zealand Based in New Zealand

Charity
Patient Advocacy
Health Consumer Organisation
Support Programs
IBD Helpline
Toilet Access Card
Educational Resources
Research Updates

Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand is there for around 20,000 New Zealanders living with IBD. It offers support services and educational resources, speaks up for patients, backs research and awareness of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and runs a nationwide network of local support groups. Its “I Can’t Wait” card helps you ask to use a toilet quickly (your doctor fills in part of the application), and Camp Purple is its summer camp for children and teenagers with IBD. Call its IBD Helpline free on 0800 ASK IBD (0800 275 423). Learn more about Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand

Registered charity: NZ Charities Register (no. CC43580)

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Stoma and Pouch Support

Some people with IBD have surgery that leaves them with a stoma (an opening on the tummy, with a bag to collect waste) or an internal pouch made from the small bowel (a J-pouch). This organisation supports people living with one.

Federation of New Zealand Ostomy Societies (Ostomy New Zealand)

National body for New Zealand’s regional ostomy societies Based in New Zealand

Charity
Patient Support Group
Peer Support
Educational Resources

The Federation represents the regional ostomy societies around New Zealand. The societies offer peer support and regular catch-ups for people with a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy, their families, and people facing this surgery. Its website has practical information on life with a stoma or a J-pouch, including food, clothing and going home from hospital. Find your local society

Registered charity: NZ Charities Register (no. CC29272)

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Online Communities

These are peer support communities: members share their own experiences and support each other. What you read there isn’t medical advice, so check anything about your own treatment with your GP or IBD team.

Crohn’s and Colitis New Zealand (Facebook)

Official Facebook community of Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand Based in New Zealand

Patient Support Group
Community Updates
Peer Support
Public Awareness

The official Facebook page of Crohn’s & Colitis New Zealand shares news, events and support information for the New Zealand IBD community, and helps connect people affected by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis with the charity’s network of local support groups across the country.

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For Health Professionals and Researchers

These organisations work mainly with doctors, nurses, dietitians and researchers. They are listed for completeness; if you live with IBD, the organisations above are usually the better place to start.

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New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology (NZSG)

National professional body for NZ gastroenterologists Based in New Zealand

Charity
Health Professional Body
Medical Research Organisation
Clinical Guidelines
Professional Development
Research Programs

The New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology (NZSG) is the national professional body for gastroenterology in New Zealand. It develops clinical guidelines, supports research and professional development, and connects the healthcare professionals working in the field across the country. Learn more about NZSG

Registered charity: NZ Charities Register (no. CC46030)

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Research in Australia and New Zealand

Australia & New Zealand IBD Consortium (ANZIBDC)

Collaborative research across Australia and New Zealand Based in Australia & New Zealand

Medical Research Organisation
Research Institute
Research Programs
Clinical Trials
Research Collaboration

The Australia and New Zealand Inflammatory Bowel Disease Consortium (ANZIBDC) is a network of doctors, scientists and companies working together on IBD research across Australia and New Zealand. Formed in 2008, it links 21 gastroenterology centres and runs a shared biobank, which lets researchers run multi-centre clinical trials, cohort studies and genetics research, and improve the quality of care for patients in both countries.