Highly anticipated Ma¯ori Health a reality

Ma¯ori health has been made a priority in a raft of radical changes to the sector.

Yesterday, Health Minister Andrew Little announced the creation of a Ma¯ori Health Authority that will be independent and make joint-decisions with a newly created centralised health agency.

The creation of the authority comes almost two years after a damning Waitangi Tribunal report outlined the consistent failure of the Crown in the care and wellbeing of Ma¯ori.

‘‘The prejudice suffered by Ma¯ori because of these Crown failures is extensive,’’ said the tribunal in its report.

It said despite the Crown investing some $220 billion into the health system since 2000, there’s been little improvement in outcomes for Ma¯ori. On average, Ma¯ori die seven years younger than non-ma¯ori, a fact health experts say is a result of inequities in the system caused largely by institutional racism.

Little acknowledged the systemic failures in the health system and its effects onma¯ori.

The Government has decided this authority should be independent and have ‘‘joint decisionmaking rights’’ for healthcare strategies and policies which affect Ma¯ori – who are currently chronically underserved by the healthcare system, he said.

The authority will have some independent commissioning power, and it will work with Health NZ to decide where health dollars are spent for services for Ma¯ori.

Taitimu Maipi, one of the original Waitangi Tribunal claimants who proposed a self-governing authority, supported yesterday’s announcement and said the opportunity to unravel the harm committed against Ma¯ori in the health system can now be remedied.

Maipi, who in 1983 founded the first Ma¯ori health provider in the country Raukura Hauora o Tainui and is an original member of Nga¯ Tamatoa, said the announcement showed a commitment to partnership as outlined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ‘‘I believe the Government has recognised what we have said in our claim, which was to establish a separate Ma¯ori health system.’’

The reforms are expected to take three years to complete.