It's the line in her paper in Friday's New Zealand Medical Journal a reviewer advised her to take out, because it didn't sound "scholarly".

But the former broadcaster, now a house officer at Middlemore Hospital, didn't become a doctor to pontificate, she did so to make sure people understand why Maori have "persistently s..... outcomes across every imaginable health indicator", and help to fix it. Read more

Papakura Marae general practitioner Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen (pictured) says one of his harsh lessons was being told health resources were limited - when they weren't.

"When the majority population needed it, they have had unlimited resources, that's not true for Maori communities.

"Maori communities are never well protected or well resourced."

He says the Government has ignored his calls for an equity-based response to the Delta outbreak.

In his view, it favoured certain voices that aligned with "certain pressures" to ease restrictions.

"Maori deaths due to Covid are going to become normal and a lot of the deaths we're going to see were preventable."

The data on Maori Covid deaths looks grim. Dr Rawiri Taonui calculates that on 21 November Maori made up 42.9 percent of Delta variant deaths. They were 51.7 percent of new cases and 31.8 percent of hospitalisations.

Maori make up just 16.7 percent of the population.

Jansen says Maori vaccination levels are 20 percent below the general population's.

"Failure to follow the science will ... cost us in lives in Maori whanau."

A statement on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Associate Health Minister (Maori Health) Peeni Henare and Covid-19 Response Minster Chris Hipkins says they had learned "a lot about the Delta variant in our response to this latest outbreak,".

The Ministers also said they had been reminded of "the resilience of whanau, and the determination of Maori health providers and other organisations to support Maori communities."

The statement says insights from Maori health providers had helped to inform the Maori Covid-19 response, which - by working with the ministry's Maori Reference Group, the Maori Monitoring Group, Tumu whakarae (DHB general managers, Maori Health) and iwi - had ensured an equitable and fit-for-purpose response and vaccine roll-out.

Alongside DHB and public health unit support, $158 million in funding was available to support Maori communities and prepare for the traffic light system.

"While much of the work we've done through our Maori response has been successful in keeping whanau Maori safe and increasing Maori vaccination rates, there is always room for improvement, and this Government is committed to continuing the good work in partnership with iwi, Maori health and disability experts, and Maori organisations."

Auckland University senior researcher Andrew Sporle calculates it will take Maori at least four weeks to get up to 90 percent first doses.

He thinks it will be well beyond Christmas before Maori are 90 percent fully vaccinated and later again before 90 percent of the population, based on Stats New Zealand figures - is actually reached.

At present nationally that figure is 65 percent.

"Wellington still isn't listening to Maori on the ground. If you put a population out there with 70 percent [vaccination] coverage, a lot of people are going to get the virus and die and it's going to happen a lot quicker," Sporle said.

"It's going to be brutal. It's only when communities are screaming that they get the resources they need."

Source

• Stuff
• Image: Waatea News

Te Runanganui o Ngati Hikairo is concerned about the effect of these gatherings, which involved many unmasked supporters, babies and tamariki.

While Tamaki and his wife Hannah say they are not anti-vaccine, they describe themselves as "pro-choice". They and the Destiny Church have led outdoor gatherings and marches in various parts of the country.

Last Tuesday, for example, Wellington CBD came to a standstill as thousands of freedom protesters marched to Parliament challenging its Covid restrictions.

Recently the Freedoms and Rights Coalition has organised several other protests around the country - including Covid hot-spots like Auckland and Hamilton.

Tamaki's iwi is calling on him to take a "whanau first" approach and tell his supporters to do everything they can to stem the pandemic.

"We all have the right to safety, and the right to life! If they object to measures that protect other people's lives, in our view they are not fighting for justice or freedom," Te Runanganui o Ngati Hikairo chairwoman Susan Turner says.

"We have a responsibility to ask our people to do everything we can to protect one another."

Turner confirmed the Runanganui supports vaccines and "dot" passports as a way of managing the pandemic.

The fight against Covid has been a collective one and it was not justice or freedom, to pull apart the systems that are saving lives, she says.

The iwi is particularly concerned about Tamaki's messages and perspective because its homeland- in the area around Kawhia and Te Awamutu - is on the verge of a major outbreak.

Tamaki was charged last month with failing to comply with an order under the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act and Alert Level 3 Order by co-organising a lockdown protest in Auckland.

He has since appeared in court over breaching bail conditions.

Hannah Tamaki has been sharing her views on social media supporting those standing up for freedom and choice.

At last Tuesday's protest, she told them she was proud of them.

Destiny Church has not yet responded to media requests for comment.

Source

• NZ Herald
• Image:Otago Daily Times
  

Maori and Pacific health executive director Hector Matthews made his views clear at a hui discussing Maori vaccination efforts.

The hui in Otautahi (Christchurch) included Maori health agencies, the Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare and other government officials on Tuesday.

Matthews said some mainstream churches were causing problems in trying to get Maori vaccinated.

"The Brian Tamaki crowd and his whanau who walk around saying God's going to protect you are a real problem for us."

Tamaki is sending a "very dangerous message" that could lead to people dying or ending up in intensive care units, Matthews said. People in high profile leadership positions - like anti-vax church leaders - who are spreading those messages made it "really hard" for providers to get vaccinations to those congregations.

"These are whanau that need our help," he said

Matthews says he is "deeply concerned" rates of vaccination in Maori and Pasifika communities was being hindered by misinformation that was spread on social media and via faith-based groups.

"This is the 21st century, and we live in the age of reason and of science ...You can have an opinion about lots of things, but you can't have an opinion about this virus," he told Stuff media.

To illustrate his point, he said if a pilot of a plane told passengers landing in Wellington seemed unsafe, they wouldn't question the pilot's judgement. For the same reason, people shouldn't be questioning the expertise and advice provided by scientists and health experts.

"We should be supporting them to keep our communities safe," he stressed.

He told the hui "we need to front up to misinformation".

People who did not speak out when they heard untruths were implicit in misinformation continuing, he pointed out.

He suggested a gentle approach is needed with people who are victims of misinformation.

"This is not new. We have to clear the fog for a lot of whanau."

If treated with mana, and spoken to with "dignity and humility", most peoplem would come around to protecting their whanau, he said.

Getting everyone vaccinated isn't about taking away people's right to choose, he said.

People were entitled to make individual decisions, "but individual decisions when it comes to infectious disease affect all of us".

"Let's protect our community and protect our whakapapa," he urged.

Source

• Stuff
• Image: YouTube

Although they are making inroads into the poor COVID-19 vaccination rates, health statistics show the low uptake is part of a difficult yet familiar reality.

At present, for every one non-Maori or Pacific person who has received their first dose of the vaccine in New Zealand, just 0.6 Maori have received theirs.

The problem is the healthcare system delivering the vaccine rollout is racist. That's the opinion of Maori health professionals working in the system and the Associate Minister of Health.

Systemic change and mobilisation is needed urgently, they say.

One issue is that Maori have different health needs from Pakeha, with last September's New Zealand Medical Journal noting Maori are 50 percent more likely to die from Covid-19.

Dr Rawiri Jansen - who quit the Government's immunisation advisory group over concerns his voice was not being heard - says there is evidence that Maori aged 40 have similar health risks as Pakeha aged 65.

For equity to be achieved in the roll-out, he wants Maori and Pacific communities to be given access to the vaccine at a younger age.

"I'm disappointed in the Ministry of Health and their inability to achieve what they promised in the beginning which was equity in the vaccination programme.

"It is consistent with a health system which consistently, persistently, under-serves Maori. And we know that racism is a feature of that system."

A big problem is contacting Maori which has been more difficult than with Pakeha, Jansen says.

"Maori and Pacific people have found it much harder to engage with text messages to tell them to go to a booking app, so that hasn't worked well for us."

Henare says the low COVID-19 vaccination uptake among Maori is not for lack of trying.

"I traveled the country to continue to promote the vaccine amongst our people," he says.

"For whatever reason, our people didn't come forward to get the vaccine."

Jansen says he agrees comments made by Prof Papaarangi Reid last week that the unfolding situation is a breach of the Treaty.

His sentiments are echoed by Mr John Mutu-Grigg, chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' Maori health advisory group.

Jansen, Mutu-Grigg and Henare's concerns come at the same time as three Maori women are reporting improved health outcomes for Maori due to Maori-focused hard work.

Mata Cherrington, who leads Southland's Awarua Whanau Services, an iwi health provider says at a recent three-day clinic, she and her team of three vaccinators helped 900 people get immunised - double the number the Southern DHB predicted.

While appreciative of the of the health board and Ministry of Health's support, Cherrington says they're far removed from the reality of what is actually happening on the front lines.

Also pushing Southland Maori to take up the immunisation challenge is Tracey Wright-Tawha - chief executive of Southland-based Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust. She is setting up clinics in remote areas to ensure vaccines are available to as much of the southern rural community as possible.

In Northland, another Maori woman, Dr Maxine Ronald, is making progress with vaccination uptake. However, systematic change from the top is needed to improve Maori health outcomes, she says.

Source

• Stuff
• Otago Daily Times
• Image: Stuff

Maori and Pacific populations are historically at greater risk of hospitalisation and death from pandemics. During the 2009 influenza pandemic, the rate of infection for Maori was twice that of Pakeha (European New Zealanders). Maori were three times more likely to be hospitalised and almost three times more likely to die.

Our results show that if COVID-19 were allowed to become more widespread in New Zealand, it would have a devastating impact on Maori and Pacific communities.

Higher risks for Maori and Pacific people

Evidence from overseas shows ethnic minority communities are at greater risk of serious health problems from COVID-19. In some parts of the US, Pacific islanders are being hospitalised at up to ten times the rate of other ethnicities. In the UK, Black and minority ethnic groups are suffering death rates twice those of White people.

Our study was based on international data on risk factors for COVID-19 fatality, including heart disease, diabetes and asthma. We combined these with data on the prevalence of these conditions in different ethnic and age groups in New Zealand.

We also accounted for the fact that Maori and Pacific people have lower life expectancy and higher unmet health-care needs than European New Zealanders.

We found the risk of death from COVID-19 was at least 50% higher for Maori. It could be more than double the rate for European New Zealanders if the level of unmet healthcare need is actually greater than official data can capture. The risk for Pacific people could also be up to double that for European New Zealanders.

One of the immediate reasons for the higher risk Maori and Pacific people face is that they have higher rates of existing health conditions. These are strongly associated with more severe outcomes from COVID-19.

Maori and Pacific populations are younger, on average, than Pakeha. But they have lower life expectancy and tend to experience health issues at a younger age. They also experience greater rates of unmet healthcare need and greater levels of poverty, which have been shown to have a significant effect on fatality rates.

For these reasons, Maori and Pacific people are also at higher risk of becoming severely ill and needing to go to hospital as a result of COVID-19. Unfortunately we are now starting to see this happen. COVID-19 cases among Maori and Pacific people have been around twice as likely as other ethnic groups to require hospitalisation.

Substandard housing contributes to higher risk

Our study looked at the risk of death only once someone has become infected with COVID-19. But there are other factors that increase the risk of getting infected for Maori and Pacific people.

A recent study from the UK showed infection rates were much higher for people living in a large household or in poorer areas, while the epidemic in China indicated that around 80% of community transmission resulted from households.

About 25% of Maori and 45% of Pacific people live in crowded housing. They are also more likely to work in jobs or workplaces with higher health risks, including infection.

COVID-19 would therefore be a double whammy for these communities: a higher rate of infection and a higher risk of severe illness or death following infection.

Implications for COVID-19 response

These findings show the potentially devastating impact COVID-19 could have on Maori and Pacific communities in New Zealand. The pandemic has potential to intensify existing social inequities that result from colonisation and systemic racism.

Our health-care system was under resource pressure prior to COVID-19 and was already being challenged for its inequitable care. The results of our study reinforce the importance of controlling the virus and preventing it from spreading into at-risk communities. It also highlights the need for measures that work well for affected communities to protect at-risk groups.

A "one size fits all" approach will result in higher rates of avoidable illness and death for Maori and Pacific communities. Te Ropu Whakakaupapa Uruta, the National Maori Pandemic Group, has clearly argued that if New Zealand wants to prevent these outcomes, the pandemic response must focus on equity.

Routine monitoring and reporting of the impact of the pandemic needs to explicitly address equity. That will require an approach that supports communities to design and deliver interventions that are effective for them.

• Michael Plank Professor in Mathematics, University of Canterbury
• Andrew Sporle Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Auckland
• Kate Hannah Researcher, University of Auckland
• Melissa McLeod Senior research fellow, University of Otago
• Nicholas Steyn Research assistant, University of Auckland
• First published in The Conversation. Republished with permission
• The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of CathNews.

He was one of 39 Maori medical graduands who took part in a pre-graduation ceremony last Friday at the University of Otago.

He is about to start work as a doctor at Christchurch Hospital.

"Just because my dad's a Mongrel Mob member and I'm Maori doesn't mean I can't do anything like the rest of the population."
He says he was raised quite well by his parents and they put us first.

"It wasn't forced on me but it was expected that I take it [education] seriously."

Tewhaiti-Smith has spent the last six years studying towards a bachelor of medicine and a bachelor of surgery at the University of Otago School of Medicine. The course had been "bloody hard".

His parents had been his biggest supporters, along with his wider whanau and he was a firm believer that "not one person raises a child, it is a village".

During his studies, he had been called a "dumb Maori" and encountered accusations of preferential treatment.

The negative interactions only inspired him to say "well, I'll show you".

"I flipped it and used it as my motivation."

Tewhaiti-Smith's used his family's gang connections for a ground-breaking new study on the health of the Mongrel Mob.

Dozens of Mongrel Mob members, affiliates and extended family were assessed on the health of their liver by a group of Otago University researchers that included Jordan.

The study included 52 Mongrel Mob Notorious gang members from Dunedin, Lower Hutt and Turangi.

It found New Zealand's largest gang's high incarceration rate, common intravenous drug use, and uncertified tattooing put them at a higher risk of contracting Hepatitis C.

Just eight Maori doctors graduated in 1999, while this year there are 38 provisional graduands.

"I want to change the outlook that Maori have within the health system in New Zealand," he said.

"As a clinician ... that's where I can make a difference. That's why I wanted to be a doctor."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• newshub.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• odt.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

Mates and Dates is a programme for secondary school students.

It is aimed at teaching young people healthy relationship skills and behaviour to help prevent sexual and dating violence.

TWT says sexual violence, like so many forms of violence experienced by Maori, will not be reduced by programmes like Mates and Dates.

In a press release, they say the money would be better invested in culturally appropriate teacher-led sexuality education in schools.

TWT says Mates and Dates is unconnected to the realities of Maori and fails to draw on the wealth of historical and contemporary Maori knowledge and practices associated with healthy relationships.

What is required is an evidence-based national plan for culturally appropriate sexuality education.

There are programmes underway in some schools where teachers are already addressing consent and sexual violence as part of comprehensive sexuality education.

However, a lack of specific policy, funding and the political ‘will' to lead the charge is prevent the programme from being rolled out nationally.

This month the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has published its Concluding Observations on New Zealand's 8th Periodic Report.

Among the observations were:

• The high level of gender-based violence in New Zealand, especially domestic and sexual violence
• The low levels of reporting of violence within Maori communities - only 20% of family violence and 9% of sexual violence is reported
• The lack of culturally appropriate approaches and distrust in public authorities
• This lack prevents Maori and other ethnic minority women from seeking protection from domestic and sexual violence

Source

• scoop.co.nz
• tewhariki.org.nz
• acc.co.nz
• nzfvc.org.nz
• Image: laraphillips.co.nz

"But given the bi-cultural context of this country, we need to know what Maori want at end of life and how services can be better directed to meet their needs."

Working bi-culturally is the focus for Gott and her team on the Te Arai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group at the School of Nursing, of which she is director.

As part of their research, digital stories were created by whanau about Maori caring for their kaumatua at the end of life.

When the digital stories were launched in 2015, one of the research team, Dr Moeke Maxwell, said they were to be used in the University's School of Nursing as a teaching resource.

The Digital Story telling began as a small part of the research programme, but it has had a huge impact.

"They are being heard within their wider communities, by health professionals and policy makers, which is an important first step to ensuring they receive better support," Gott said.

"We have also found completing a story helps individuals make sense of what is, inevitably, a very difficult time in their life."

"It has been beyond our expectations.

"The stories are being used across New Zealand, both within Maori communities and for teaching, and are being picked up internationally."

Gott says an example is the teams in Australia that are looking at replicating the idea in Aborigine communities.

The study was led by Dr Lisa Williams and co-researchers, Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell (Ngai Tai) and Dr Stella Black (Tuhoe) along with Gott.

Watch a Digital Story

Source

• The University of Auckland
• Newsroom
• Screenshot: YouTube

Dr O'Sullivan attributes a real turnaround in his life when he was accepted as a student at Hato Petera (St Peter's) College.

Expelled from two schools before thriving at Hato Petera, he went on to be Head Boy, sports champion and College Dux.

The support and encouragement he received at Hato Petera shaped his philosophy towards his patients.

However, Dr O'Sullivan also pays great tribute to his mother who raised her large family without the help of a man in the house.

She worked tirelessly to give her children the best possible start in life under often difficult circumstances. She still helps out with his work and his family, he said.

"Rob people of their self-belief and you deny them a bright future. I believed I couldn't be anything other than the naughty boy teachers perceived me to be. So I'll never turn a kid away and say he's a lost cause or a patient when people say he's just trouble," said Dr O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan is married to Tracey and they have seven children.

He is honoured for his leadership, vision and advocacy in healthcare. His low-cost health clinic Te Kohanga Whakaora ("The Nest of Wellness") has made basic healthcare more accessible for people in the far north.

Source

• nzawards.org.nz
• catholicnetwork.org.nz
• Catholic Diocese of Auckland
• Image: The Northern Advocate