He Korowai Oranga: Maori Health Strategy

This report discusses the He Korowai Oranga: Maori Health Strategy and its alignment with the New Zealand Health Strategy. It explores the aim and rationale of the health strategy, the ways in which it aligns with the New Zealand Health Strategy, and the health initiatives implemented to support the health outcome of Maori people. The report concludes by highlighting the improvements in health outcomes for the Maori community.

Running head: HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
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1HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Aim and rationale of the health strategy..........................................................................................2
Ways in which strategy aligns with the New Zealand Health Strategy...........................................3
Health initiative implemented..........................................................................................................4
Initiative taken supports the health outcome of Maori people........................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
Reference.........................................................................................................................................8

2HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
Introduction
The following report outlines the He korowai Oranga: Maori Health Strategy and
analysed the way of the improving the health condition of the Maori community. The report state
the difference and similarities of the Maori health strategy and New Zealand strategy. The major
target group of the study is Maori community of New Zealand. The report has examined the
reason for poor health condition in the community and dealt with the strategies that align with
the major aim and objective of the New Zealand Health Strategy, 2016. The report has talked
about the community health condition and how Maori Health strategy has played role in
improving the health outcome. Further, report highlights the ways by which the stated He
korowai Oranga: Maori health strategy links with the New Zealand Health Strategy, 2016.
Health initiative that has been implemented has been reflected in the report by analysing the
reduction of health disparity.
Aim and rationale of the health strategy
New Zealand health strategy involves the action plan of government in health sector. The
major principle of the strategy is to enhance the good health and quality life of the people of New
Zealand. Health Strategy of New Zealand has five major theme, the include to give education to
the people, providing closer care to people, to give high quality health outcome, to work as team
in health sector, to develop new innovations regarding health care ((Ministry of Health, 2016).
The strategy is divided in two phase, First it outlines the challenges that the country is facing and
prepare the future plan for it. Second, it identifies the major areas of action that needs to be
executed in the next five year.

3HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
The major aim of the report is to focus on Maori people Health Strategy to reduce the
health inequalities in New Zealand and support them to acquire a healthy living. The strategy
highlighted in the report take into account the goal and objective of the New Zealand Health
Strategy, 2016 and reflects the details on health of Maori people and the way by which their
health are supported by government in order to improve the health outcome (Came et al., 2016).
The target group chosen for the report is people of Maori community. The rationale for
choosing it that they show the most poor health status in whole group of community of New
Zealand. Hence, there is inequality in health prevalence (Thayer & Kuzawa, 2015). Government
and ministry of health has set pace with the health sector with high priority to reduce the health
inequalities (Blakely et al., 2015).
Ways in which strategy aligns with the New Zealand Health Strategy
It is noted that in New Zealand, people who have lower incomes tend to suffer from
lethal disease, however, Maori people though being educated and employed, have high
prevalence of poor health than the non-Maori peoples (Jackson, 2015). Therefore the major
challenges for the government is to address those key challenges that is known to cause
inequalities (Theodore et al., 2016). The ways by which strategy can be used to solve the
problems and co-align with the Health Strategy of New Zealand majorly give aspiration to the
Maori people for better outcome. The basic difference and similarities between the Maori Health
strategy and New Zealand Health Strategy, 2016 are as follows:
First way- He korowai Oranga is known to support the Maori community by encouraging their
own interest, wish and priorities thereby involving them in decision making and in delivering of
the health service (Cram et al., 2015).The plan aligns with the New Zealand Health Strategy,

4HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
2016 as government also tends to empower people as partner in health care, and support New
Zealanders in improving health outcome.
Second way- Is to increase the health of the Maori by developing the community and identifing
the value of those people by employing traditional healing. The strategy is not connected and
dissimilar with the New Zealand Health Strategy, 2016 as the future vision of the plan is to give
control to the people of their own health by giving all the relevant information (Zealand, 2016)
Third way- The aim of Maori health strategy is to remove the obstacle by which Maori are facing
health disability like race discrimination. This aim is similar to the theme of New Zealand Health
Strategy, 2016 of value and high performance which also strives for equitable health outcome by
building cultural knowledge that can do better for the people of New Zealand (Hickey & Wilson,
2017).
Fourth way- Is to initiate the training that is known to increase the skills of the health
professionals and concerned staffs to increase the strength of the sector of disability and health
with objective to provide effective care and service to the Maori community. New Zealand
Health Strategy, 2016 also works on the system that has many skilled and trained worker that
tends to connect the people with disability service and improve the overall health of the people
(Kanengoni, Andajani-Sutjahjo & Holroyd, 2018).
Health initiative implemented
Health initiative is the step taken by the governing body of the country in order to
improve the health outcome of the people. The major focus for health initiative is to reduce the
health inequalities and improve health of people of New Zealand particularly focussing on the
Maori people by giving the priority of health care to them (Ministry of Health, 2016)

5HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
The initiative taken by involving the whole community people and giving equal
participation in implementing the goal. Bay of Plenty District health Board’s Maori health
initiative- Toi Ora have worked in collaboration with Iwi and Maori community to improve the
health of Maori community. Toi Ora, good quality of health for Maori has been of the prime
importance for the Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB). Initiative related to cultural
approach has been taken where people have positively accepted the health message. It is said by
the MHPFUG manager Janet McLean that they have highest number of Maori provider (26%)
which constitute of 18 Iwi. Success of Toi ora will take place as they have brought them all
together to construct the strategy towards Toi Ora. It was noted that The Māori Health Planning
and Funding Unit has funded the health service of Maori with motive to lessen the health
inequalities among Maori. The Māori Health Plan monitoring framework has been implemented
to upsurge the participation of Maori people that can improve the status of health of Maori
people. McLean focused on creating universalism and taken step to get proper immunization to
the children. The initiative has resulted in 83% of Maori community was immunized and got
increased to 89% as compared to 88 % of non- Maori people. Currently, McLean is focusing on
Whānau Ora approach and started to work across the activities that can bring improvement in
health status of Maori people (Bay of Plenty District Health Board’s Māori health, 2016)
Initiative taken supports the health outcome of Maori people
Through the implementation of above mention initiative the health outcome of the Maori
people has been improved to greater extent. By reducing the health inequalities among the
people of Maori, every people can aid it easy and effective assess to good health care for all
(Hamlin,Yule, Elliot, Stoner & Kathiravel, 2016). Their nutrition has been improved, which has
led to improved health. Earlier the Maori people, consume more fatty food leading to

6HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
cardiovascular disease, cancer and heart stroke (Kahukura, 2015). Thus, it can be said that people
should get balanced diet in common with the non-Maori people which is helping them to stay fit
and healthy (Marriott & Sim, 2015).
By giving equal health care the prevalence of diabetes has decreased among the people of
Maori. Initially, Maori people were facing the issue of high diabetes due to inadequate
knowledge about the disease and way to manage it (Robinson et al., 2016). The initiative has
also improved the oral health problem of these people. Disease in teeth was mainly common in
children and adolescents in Maori people than non-Maori, which was mainly because of
contaminated water (Thornley et al., 2017). Therefore, reduction in health inequalities has
increased the schooling and health promotion thereby clinically preventing the lower
socioeconomic groups. Additionally, this has also improved the mental illness of Maori people.
Government has implemented blueprint for the improvement of mental health service and
responsiveness to the Maori community, with major focus on recovery process (Bennett & Liu,
2018). Therefore, it can be said that with improvement in health care, the health outcome of the
Maori people has been improved.
Conclusion
Lastly from the above discussion, it can be concluded that Maori health strategy is in
alignment with the aim and objective of New Zealand Health Strategy, 2016. Maori community
being of lower socioeconomic group, faces the problem of health inequalities with other
community which has caused poor health. The health condition is mainly because of difference
in care given by the government and lower fund that does not play key role in improving the
health condition of the people. Though government has implemented various health initiative to
reduce the disparity; however, future step have to be taken that increase the funding for the

7HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
programme that focusses on equalising the health condition of the people. The agreement have to
be done with minister of health and district health boards. Therefore, from the discussion role of
government has been determined that influence the health care outcomes for the Maori
community as well as other low economic groups. The report has also analysed outcome of
health by reducing the disparity in Maori community.

8HE KOROWAI ORANGA: MAORI HEALTH STRATEGY
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