Climate change threatens right to health for Maori

Climate change threatens right to health for Maori

NZ Population Health Congress media release, 7 October 2014

A leading Maori academic told the New Zealand Population Health Congress today that Maori health is being compromised by global climate change.

“Vulnerability to the health effects of climate change varies considerably between different populations, being influenced by geographic location, and demographics including socioeconomic status,” Dr Rhys Jones said in a presentation to the Congress, which outlined a paper written by Dr Jones, Hayley Bennett, Gay Keating and Alison Blaiklock and published in the international Health and Human Rights Journal.

“Adverse impacts will be disproportionately borne by the most disadvantaged populations, including indigenous peoples. For indigenous peoples climate change threatens their well-being and presents a major issue of human rights and equity.”

Some of the ways in which Maori health is likely to be compromised because of climate change include:

- poorer access to food sources and good nutrition

- injury and illness from extreme weather events

- more heat-related deaths and illness

- more cardiovascular and respiratory disease from air pollution

- more food and water-borne disease.

“These issues will impact other groups in the population, but Maori are especially vulnerable for a number of reasons. Maori tend to have higher levels of social deprivation, poorer existing health status and face greater barriers to accessing quality health care. The location of many Maori communities in coastal areas also increases their vulnerability to extreme weather conditions and the attendant compromises to health and wellness.

“Indigenous relationships with the natural environment are significant, and Maori explicitly consider a healthy environment to be a prerequisite for good health. As with other indigenous peoples, the loss of identity due to displacement and dispossession of lands, resources, and waters – which are likely to occur with climate change – is intimately linked to adverse physical and mental health outcomes.”

Dr Jones went on to explain how this scenario represented a breach of the right to health for Maori, as stipulated in a number of international treaties.

“New Zealand has recognised the right to health in its ratification of core human rights treaties, including conventions about racism and the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities. In particular, the Human Rights Act prohibits direct or indirect discrimination in relation to health status or health services, or in relation to key determinants of health such as employment, housing, and education.”

Dr Jones highlighted a number of ways in which the New Zealand Government can work towards meeting its obligations arising from the right to health.

“First and foremost, New Zealand needs to be an active participant in global efforts to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change mitigation strategies that also improve health and reduce disparities between Maori and non-Maori should be adopted immediately. Other interventions need to be designed, implemented and evaluated carefully in partnership with Maori communities.

“It is clear that both climate change and societal responses to climate change pose serious threats to the right to health for Maori in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The New Zealand Government has obligations arising from this right to address a broad range of issues at many different levels.”

ENDS

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