The interim Māori Health Authority(external link) has announced an inaugural funding package of $22 million to embed Te Ao Māori perspectives and initiatives throughout the health system.

The initial investment will enable different ways of working and give whānau healthcare options that haven’t previously been supported to deliver widely across the system. It will support the development of the kaupapa Māori workforce, rongoā services, mātauranga Māori models of care and kaupapa Māori approaches to keeping people well.

Co-Chair of the interim Māori Health Authority, Tipa Mahuta, said the Authority hadn’t wasted any time in getting on with mahi to improve the health of whānau.

“Our commitment of this budget comes just three months after the Authority was stood up as an interim entity. While our longer-term budget is still being finalised, this funding package is proof of our dedication to getting things done and lifting the health of Māori who have suffered for far too long,” Tipa said.

“The Māori Health Authority is here to make a difference for all New Zealanders. We are ready and willing to work alongside the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand in making the transformational changes our people have been crying out for.

“A key priority is on driving growth within our Māori workforce by both supporting our existing staff, and ensuring Māori have a clear pathway into health mahi.”

Co-Chair Sharon Shea said the Authority had an important role to play in reforming the health system so it supported better health outcomes for all New Zealanders.

“In the future, whānau will experience healthcare that looks like, feels like and reflects Te Ao Māori. That means more Maori providers being funded to deliver health services that support holistic health, including spiritual health, and services that are firmly rooted in Māori knowledge,” Sharon said.

“Our focus now is to work in tandem with Health New Zealand, as a demonstration of our mutual commitment to Te Tiriti, to addressing this longstanding inequity.

“Both Māori and non-Māori already access services delivered by Māori providers, so the opportunity to expand this reach to offer more Te Ao Māori solutions means all New Zealanders benefit.”

“Our role in working with Health New Zealand to collaboratively strengthen health in Aotearoa, as well as delivery our own work programme to lift Te Ao Māori options, is something we take very seriously. Today’s announcement is an important milestone and marks the start of our mahi to influence better outcomes for Māori and whānau.”

The Māori Health Authority will work with Māori providers to agree and deliver the budget activities over the coming months, ahead of 30 June. Specific areas to be funded include:

  • $3 million for mātauranga Maori initiatives and services
  • $6 million to support Maori providers within innovation and sustainability
  • $5 million to support kaupapa Māori approaches to population health
  • $2 million to expand existing rongoā services
  • $2 million to support further development of the Maori workforce

A further $3.2 million has been allocated by the Māori Health Authority and the Māori Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health to supporting the establishment of Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards this year.

Ka pānuitia te tahua pūtea $22 miriona e Te Mana Hauora Māori mō tēnei wā

Kua pānuitia e Te Mana Hauora Māori he tahua pūtea tīmatanga $22 miriona te nui hei whakatō i ngā tirohanga me ngā kaupapa Māori puta noa i te pūnaha hauora.

Mā tēnei haumitanga ka taea ngā huarahi mahi rerekē, ka whai wāhi hoki ngā whānau ki ētahi kōwhiringa kāore nei i tautokotia whānuitia puta noa i te pūnaha. Ka hāpai te haumitanga nei i te whanaketanga o te ohu mahi whai i ngā kaupapa Māori, ngā ratonga rongoā, ngā pou tarāwaho  mātauranga Māori mō te tautiaki, me ētahi ahunga kaupapa Māori e whai oranga ai te iwi.

Hei tā te Hoa-Toihau o Te Mana Hauora Māori, a Tipa Mahuta, kua wawe tonu te whakatika mai a te rōpū nei i āna kawenga mahi hei whakapai ake i te hauora o ngā whānau.

“Kua mana tēnei tahua i roto i te toru marama whai muri mai i te whakapūmautanga o tēnei rōpū hei hinonga mō tēnei wā. Ahakoa kei te whakaotingia tonutia tā mātou tahua ahunga roa, e tohu mai nei tēnei tahua i tō mātou manawanui ki te whakatutuki i ngā mahi, me te hiki ake i te hauora o te iwi Māori kua roa nei e pākatokato ana,” te kōrero a Tipa.

“Kei konei Te Mana Hauora Māori ki te whakatutuki i ēnei mahi mō Aotearoa whānui. Kei te rite, kei te hīkaka mātou ki te mahi tahi me te Manatū Hauora me Hauora Aotearoa hei pupuru i ngā hurihuringa whaiora mō tō tātou iwi e tūmanako atu nei ki ēnei hua.”

“Ko tētahi whāinga tōmua ko ngā kawenga whakapakari i te ohu mahi Māori mā te tautoko i ngā kaimahi kua taunga ki ngā mahi, me te mārama o te whakarite i ngā huarahi whai mahi hauora mō ngāi Māori.”

E mea ana te Hoa-Toihau, a Sharon Shea, he wāhanga hirahira te rōpū nei i ngā whakahoutanga o te pūnaha hauora kia pai ake te tautokotia o ngā putanga hauora mō Aotearoa whānui.

“Hei ngā rā ki tua, ka Māori ake te tirohanga me te rongo o te tautiakitanga hauora ki ngā whānau. Nā runga i tēnei, ka tokomaha ake ngā kaiwhakarato Māori ka whai pūtea hei tautoko i ngā huarahi hauora toro whānui, inā rā, ko te hauora ā-wairua nei me ngā ratonga whakatītina i te mātauranga Māori,” te kōrero a Sharon.

“Ināianei, ko te aronga he mahi ngātahi me Hauora Aotearoa, he whakamanatanga tēnei i te Tiriti o Waitangi, kia whakatikahia ake ngā take mana ōrite kua roa e noho raruraru ana.”

“I tēnei wā, ka taea noa e ngāi Māori, e ngāi tauiwi hoki te toro ki ngā ratonga e kōkiritia ana e ngā kaiwhakarato Māori, nā reira, ka whai hua tēnei āheinga toro kia whānui ake ngā hīraunga Māori ki a Aotearoa whānui.”

“Ka ngātahi ā mātou mahi me Hauora Aotearoa hei whakakaha i te hauora mō Aotearoa, me te kōkiri hoki i ā mātou ake kawenga mahi whakawhānui i ngā kōwhiringa Māori; he kaupapa nui tēnei ki a mātou. He ekenga hirahira te pānuitanga i tēnei rā, he tohu i te tīmatanga o ā mātou mahi ki te whakaaweawe i ngā putanga hua mō ngāi Māori me ngā whānau.”

Ka mahi tahi Te Mana Hauora Māori, ngā Poari Kōtuinga ā-Iwi me ngā kaiwhakarato Māori kia whakaaetia te whakatutukitanga o ngā whakaritenga tahua hei ngā marama e tū mai nei, i mua i te 30 o Hune. Ko ngā wāhanga whai take ka tautokoti ā-pūtea nei ko ēnei nā:

  • e $3 miriona ki ngā kaupapa me ngā ratonga mātauranga Maori;
  • e $6 miriona ki ngā kaiwhakarato Māori mō ngā kaupapa auaha, toitūtanga hoki;
  • e $5 miriona ki ngā ara kaupapa Māori e pā ana ki te hauora ā-taupori;
  • e $2 miriona hei whakawhānui ake i ngā ratonga rongoā;  
  • e $2 miriona hei whakawhānui ake i te ohu mahi Māori.

He $3.2 miriona i tua atu ka whakapaua ki Te Mana Hauora Māori me ngā Kaiwhakahaere Hauora Māori o Te Manatū Hauora hei tautoko i te whakatūnga o ngā Poari Kōtuinga ā-Iwi i tēnei tau.

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