M ORI HEALTH FEATURE
MATE KORONA: THE KAUPAPA M ORI APPROACH FOR TE TAUIHU — Te Tauihu means ‘the prow of the waka’ and is the name given by Māori to the top of the South Island. Eight tribes form the region’s tangata whenua population: Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Tama ki te Waipounamu and Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Māui. As essential partners in the regional COVID-19 response, mandated Te Tauihi iwi representatives joined the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) in March. See the article on page 14 about the ECC structure. “It was important that we approached our structural response in a way that up held Te Tiriti o Waitangi and maximised the chance for us to advocate for Māori health equity,” Ditre Tamatea, GM of Māori Health and Vulnerable Populations, says. “In many ways we were building on what we had achieved, to ensure iwi were at the decision-making table, during the Pigeon Valley fire emergency response in 2019.” The contribution of leading Māori health advocates at both local and national response levels is essential if we are to eliminate the virus and mitigate its harmful effects, says Ditre. “The fear is that if we don’t have a programme that focuses on health equity for Māori, Māori may disproportionately feel the impact of Mate Korona. This is because Māori have higher rates of people living with underlying health issues and higher rates of poverty with many whānau living in cold, damp, unhealthy homes where over-crowding is a significant problem.”
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Above: GM Māori Health and Vulnerable Populations Ditre Tamatea
