Māori Health

“Nei rā te mihi kau atu ki a tātou katoa, kā iwi e noho ana i te rohe o Waitaha; mai kā pae mauka o Te Waipounamu, kā Tiritiri o te Moana ki te Tai o Mahānui, ā, ki te Tai o Marokura hoki, arā, kā Pākihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha

“Ka nui te mihi ki a tātou o Kāi Tahu whānui, ki kā hapū maha e honohono mai ana, ā, e whariki mai ana i kā whānau Kāi Tahu katoa, ā, ki kā papatipu rūnaka o Waitaha; mai i Kaikoura, ki Ngāi Tūāhuriri whakawhiti atu ki Te Wheke me Koukourārata tae atu rā ki Wairewa me Ōnuku tae noa ki Taumutu
Anō he mihi ki kā mātāwaka o te motu, ko ērā atu iwi o Aotearoa i tau mai ana i raro i te maru o Aoraki

Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā rā tātou katoa”

“This is a greeting to us all, the mana whenua and tangata whenua peoples living in the Canterbury region; from the mountain ranges of Te Wai Pounamu, the Southern Alps to the coastal and sea areas of the Waitaki River and north to Kaikōura, otherwise known as the Canterbury Plains.

Greetings to our peoples of Kāi Tahu whānui, the many hapū whose threads weave Kāi Tahu whānau together and to the tribal councils of the local ancestral lands; from Kaikoura to Tūāhuriri rising up to Te Wheke and Koukourārata to Wairewa and Ōnuku and to Taumutu

Greetings also to other tribes of Aotearoa settled here beneath the sanctuary offered by Aoraki

Greetings to us all”.

In this section:

 

Māori in Canterbury

In Canterbury as well as nationally, Māori are a young, diverse and growing population group. The average age is 24 years with 32 percent of the total population under the age of 15 years. The percentage of older Māori (>65 years) is growing but is still less than non-Māori in Canterbury.

It has been unacceptable for a long time for Māori to persistently have some of the poorest health outcomes but also significant gaps in mortality and morbidity. These disparities are a concern for everyone.

Primary health care services are vital to maintaining and promoting the health for all population groups, in particular those groups with poorer health outcomes. There is strong evidence that primary health care can improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities, therefore it has a pivotal role for improving health outcomes for Māori.

As of 31 December 2017, there were 41,135 Māori enrolled with a general practitioner of which 33,627 are enrolled with Pegasus Health general practices. A positive trend across all the Canterbury Primary Health Organisations shows an increase in enrolment for Māori.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi)

Māori have specific rights as tangata whenua that are protected through Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Māori also have the same rights as other New Zealanders to live long and healthy lives and to expect equal performance in their health care.

Pegasus Health is committed to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, namely:

  • Partnership: working together with iwi, hapū, whānau and Māori communities to develop strategies for Māori health gain and appropriate health and disability services;
  • Participation: involving Māori at all levels of the sector, in decision making, planning, development and delivery of health and disability services; and
  • Protection: working to ensure Māori have at least the same level of health as non-Māori, and safeguarding Māori cultural concepts, values and practices.

 

He Korowai Oranga: Māori Health Strategy

He Korowai Oranga is New Zealand’s Māori Health Strategy and sets the overarching framework that guides the Government and the health and disability sector to achieve the best health outcomes for Māori. You can read about He Korowai Oranga on the Ministry of Health’s website.

Canterbury Māori Health Framework

The Canterbury health sector’s work is guided by the Canterbury Māori Health Framework that has as its vision: “Kia whakakotahi te hoe o te waka – we paddle our waka as one”.

The adage that “we paddle our waka as one” articulates the importance of all Canterbury service providers, Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury, PHOs and NGOs, working together to reduce inequities, increase access to services and improve health outcomes for Māori in Canterbury.

The Framework is aligned to He Korowai Oranga, New Zealand’s Māori Health Strategy, and identifies the desired outcomes and key strategies that assist in achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori. It also identifies indicators that can be used to measure progress towards Oranga Māori or supporting Māori families to flourish and achieve maximum health and wellbeing.

Pegasus Health was integral to the development of the Canterbury Māori Health Framework. Read more about the Canterbury Māori Health Framework on Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury’s website.

(Click on the image for a larger version of the framework)

Canterbury DHB Māori Health Action Plan

Canterbury DHB’s Māori Health Action Plan outlines the key activities that will be undertaken across the Canterbury health system to improve Māori Health outcomes, along with associated measures and performance targets. You can read more about the Canterbury DHB Māori Health Action Plan on the Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury’s website.

Pegasus Health Hauora Māori Plan 2015-2018

Pegasus Health’s Hauora Māori Plan 2015-2018 is guided by the Canterbury Māori Health Framework and He Korowai Oranga, New Zealand’s Māori Health Strategy. The Plan interconnects with other Māori health plans, including Canterbury DHB’s Māori Health Action Plan.

The Hauora Māori Plan outlines Pegasus Health’s intentions for Māori health improvement for the 2015-2018 period. The Plan identifies the key action areas to improve equitability of health outcomes and recognises four priority areas that will contribute to this:

  1. Increase HPV coverage and cervical screening rates for Māori women to at least target rates.
  2. Develop primary health care workforce through the development of Hauora Māori education.
  3. Build capability of whānau Māori (Māori families) to self manage.
  4. Pegasus Health improvement indicators and other reporting include Māori breakdown.

Read the Pegasus Health Hauora Māori Plan 2015-2018.

Pegasus Health Māori Leadership

Pegasus Health has a Hauora Manager role dedicated to the improvement of health outcomes for Māori and ensuring equitable access to primary health care services. Community engagement and relationship building with Māori health organisations and health promotion is a focus of this role.

The Hauora Manager provides leadership across the organisation through:

  • leading in the development of organisational capability and capacity to improve health outcomes for Māori
  • leading in the development, implementation and monitoring of Māori health plans relevant to Pegasus Health
  • actively supporting Te Kāhui o Papaki Kā Tai
  • maintaining and enhancing linkages between the Māori community, Māori services and Pegasus Health
  • implementing health promotion programmes focused on Māori.

As well as playing an important role within the organisation and progressing many of the activities within the work plan, Pegasus Health’s Hauora Manager works across the Canterbury system with other Māori managers and service providers.

Pegasus Health Workforce Development Scholarships

Pegasus Health recognises that to improve the health status of all populations we serve, the Canterbury health system needs to be culturally responsive and provide services that are accessible and appropriate for the diversity of Canterbury people and communities.

Each year, Pegasus Health awards a number of Workforce Development Scholarships to students from Māori, Pacific and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, working towards medicine, nursing or allied health degrees, with the aim of enhancing the cultural and linguistic richness of the health sector.

Pegasus Health began offering these scholarships to Māori students in 2001 and since that time, numerous aspiring recipients have been assisted, many of whom have gone on to outstanding careers in primary health care.

Read more about these scholarships and how to apply under Health Professionals > Health Student Scholarships.

Te Kāhui o Papaki Kā Tai (Māori health advisory group)

Pegasus Health has always supported Māori governance of Māori health in Canterbury, first with the Māori Advisory Group from 2001 to 2009 then with Te Kāhui o Papaki Kā Tai (Te Kāhui) from 2009.

Te Kāhui is a Canterbury-wide combined group of primary care organisations, Manawhenua ki Waitaha, clinicians, community organisations, Māori health providers and Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury. The group plays a lead role in Māori health improvement by influencing across the health system to achieve health equity for all Māori living in Canterbury.

Read more about Te Kāhui o Papaki Kā Tai under Our Governance & Structure > Advisory Boards & Groups.

 

Canterbury Clinical Network Māori Caucus

The Māori Caucus brings together Māori members from across the Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN) to provide a coordinated focus on equitable health outcomes for Māori in Canterbury.

By strengthening connections and improving the capacity and capability of Māori members who participate on workstreams and Service Level Alliances, the Māori Caucus supports workstreams and Service Level Alliances to deliver outcomes that protect and improve Māori health.

Read more about the CCN Māori Caucus on the CCN’s website.