Diana Sarfati

Diana Sarfati
Sarfati in 2019
Director-General of Health
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 December 2022
Preceded byAshley Bloomfield
Personal details
Born1967 or 1968 (age 56–57)[1]
Alma materUniversity of Otago
Scientific career
FieldsEpidemiology
InstitutionsUniversity of Otago
Thesis

Diana Sarfati (born 1967/1968) is New Zealand's Director-General of Health and a public health physician and health services researcher.[2] She was formerly head of the Cancer Control Agency (Te Aho o Te Kahu) of New Zealand.[3]

Career

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Sarfati was appointed Interim Chief Executive of the Cancer Control Agency on 1 December 2019, becoming the permanent chief on 1 July 2020 for what is now known as Te Aho o Te Kahu, Cancer Control Agency.[4]

In that role, she reported to the Minister and Associate Ministers of Health,[5] and advised Government on cancer-related matters. Since being in this role, Te Aho o Te Kahu has produced a number of key reports including a state of nation in cancer report,[6] regular reports on the impact of Covid on cancer services,[7] a cancer prevention report,[8] and a report defining the gap in cancer medicine availability between Australia and New Zealand.[9] Sarfati was also involved in the establishment of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy in New Zealand.[10]

She also sat on Health New Zealand's Planned Care Taskforce.[11]

Sarfati completed a PhD in 2014 at the University of Otago.[12] Prior to her appointment, Sarfati was Head of the Department of Public Health and the Director of the Cancer and Chronic Conditions (C3) research group at University of Otago, Wellington.[13] Sarfati has focused on researching disparities in cancer outcomes, this work has identified key patient and health system factors that influence cancer survival. It is used extensively by health policy makers, clinicians and other researchers to develop policies and practices that aim to reduce inequities in cancer outcomes in New Zealand and internationally.[14][15]

Sarfati is also a member of the International Advisory Committee to Lancet Oncology,[16] IARC's international expert group on social inequalities in cancer,[17] the Board of the International Cancer Benchmarking Project,[18] and she led a Lancet Oncology series on cancer in small island developing states.[19] She is a former member of the National Cancer Programme Leadership Board, the National Screening Advisory Group, the National Ethics Advisory Committee, the Bowel Cancer Taskforce and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Advisory Committee.

In 2019, Sarfati was named NEXT's Woman of the Year for her focus on promoting equitable cancer treatment.[20]

In July 2022, she became acting Director-General of Health, replacing Ashley Bloomfield.[21] In November 2022 she was confirmed as the permanent Director-General for a period of five years.[2]

Selected works

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References

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  1. ^ Macdonald, Nikki (28 September 2019). "National Portrait: Diana Sarfati, cancer researcher and new cancer agency boss". Stuff.
  2. ^ a b "Dr Diana Sarfati to be next director-general of health". Stuff. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Te Rōpū Whakahaere" [Our Senior Leadership Team] (in Māori). Te Aho o Te Kahu. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Appointment: Chief Executive, Cancer Control Agency" (PDF). publicservice.govt.nz. 6 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Te Aho o Te Kahu". New Zealand Government. November 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Te Aho o Te Kahu – The State of Cancer in New Zealand 2020". Te Aho o Te Kahu – The State of Cancer in New Zealand 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  7. ^ Millar, Elinor; Gurney, Jason; Beuker, Suzanne; Goza, Moahuia; Hamilton, Mary-Ann; Hardie, Claire; Jackson, Christopher GCA; Mako, Michelle; Middlemiss, Tom; Ruka, Myra; Willis, Nicole; Sarfati, Diana (June 2021). "Maintaining cancer services during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Aotearoa New Zealand experience". The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. 11: 100172. doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100172. PMC 8315642. PMID 34327369.
  8. ^ "Te Aho o Te Kahu - Cancer Prevention Report". Te Aho o Te Kahu - Cancer Prevention Report. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Te Aho o Te Kahu – Cancer Control Agency". Te Aho o Te Kahu – Cancer Control Agency. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  10. ^ "New national cancer treatment service opens". The Beehive. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Nationwide plan to tackle hospital waiting lists". The Beehive. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  12. ^ Sarfati, Diana (2014). Developing new comorbidity indices for cancer populations using administrative data (Doctoral thesis). OUR Archive, University of Otago. hdl:10523/4734.
  13. ^ University of Otago, Wellington. "Professor Diana Sarfati, Department of Public Health". www.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  14. ^ "The State of Cancer in New Zealand 2020". Te Aho o Te Kahu. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Cancer Control Agency to drive improved care". Beehive.govt.nz. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  16. ^ "The Lancet Oncology Advisory Board". www.thelancet.com. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  17. ^ S, Vaccarella; J, Lortet-Tieulent; R, Saracci; DI, Conway; K, Straif; CP, Wild (7 November 2019). Reducing Social Inequalities in Cancer: Evidence and Priorities for Research. World Health Organization. ISBN 978-92-832-2223-1.
  18. ^ "ICBP partnership". Cancer Research UK. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Cancer control in small island nations". www.thelancet.com. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  20. ^ Board, Otago Bulletin (5 November 2019). "Equity and justice motivate NEXT Woman of the Year winners". University of Otago. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  21. ^ "Diana Sarfati named as acting Director-General of Health". RNZ. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
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