Southern Māori Health Plan focuses on wellness

Media release

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Southern Māori Health Plan focuses on wellness

Southern DHB and WellSouth have announced a “milestone for Māori health”, with the finalising of the Southern Māori Health Plan 2016/17.

Southern DHB Executive Director of Māori Health Pania Coote says the plan aims to promote a “paradigm shift, from thinking about Māori health in terms of sickness to wellness”.

It emphasises a whānau-centred approach based on key themes, envisaging a healthier population of Māori who are able to participate fully in society, are supported to self-manage chronic conditions, and have access to high quality and appropriate health care services.

While Māori in the Southern district have overall better health outcomes than in many other parts of New Zealand, there remains significant disparity with non-Māori in areas including oral health, mental health and chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease and respiratory disease.

Addressing this requires working in partnership across the sector, and drawing upon the strengths of Māori health providers in the District, says Pania.

The shared plan between primary and secondary health care providers reflects this holistic approach, “recognising that our work needs to be aligned, working towards a common vision and making very specific commitments that will enable us to realise the aspirations for Māori.”

Southern Māori population

• There are 29,200 Māori in Southern district, 9.1% of total population
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• The Māori population is relatively youthful with a median age of 23.8 years.
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• Māori aged 65 years or over are expected to increase by 54% between 2013 and 2020
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• The all-cause mortality rate for Māori in Southern in 2008-12 was 36% higher than the non-Māori rate. Potentially avoidable mortality was 62% higher for Māori than for non-Māori in Southern during 2007-11. Mortality amenable to health care was 54% higher.*
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• Birth rates for Māori are higher than non-Māori, accounting for 20% of all live births in the district.
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*Source document – Southern District Health Board Māori Health Profile 2015 – www.otago.ac.nz/MHP2015

To view the plan click here

ENDS

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