Health Promotion of Maoris in New Zealand: Treaty of Waitangi Impact

This report examines health promotion efforts targeting the Maori population in New Zealand, emphasizing the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi (ToW). It explores the treaty's articles (Tino Rangatiratanga, Kawanatanga, and Oritetanga) and their influence on health initiatives. The report discuss...Read More

Running head: HEALTH PROMOTION OF MAORIS IN NEW ZEALAND
HEALTH PROMOTION OF MAORIS IN NEW ZEALAND
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1HEALTH PROMOTION OF MAORIS IN NEW ZEALAND
‘Health Promotion’, implies effective healthcare strategies for empowering people to gain
control over their health (Mendes Plaza & Wallerstein, 2016).
One of the most compelling examples of health promotion in New Zealand, is the Treaty
of Waitangi (ToW). The purpose of this treaty was to improve the health and well-being of the
Maori population, and was signed between the Europeans and the Maoris (Ministry of Health,
2018). This resulted in the creation of health promotion activities in Aotearoa, New Zealand,
with the help of three articles mentioned in the treaty (Moon, 2015). These are: Tino
Rangatiratanga, Kawanatanga and Oritetanga (Xuefue, 2018). Kawanatanga focused upon the
participation of Maoris in promoting health (Brewer & Andrews, 2016). Tino Rangatiratanga
mentioned objectives aimed at imrpoving health through equal distribution of health resource
and health promotion, amongst Maoris (Broughton et al., 2015). Oritetanga foussed using health
promotion activities for reducing inequalities and improving the health of the Maori population
(Came, Cornes & McCreanor, 2018).
The year 2002 witnessed the implementation of the Treaty Understanding of Hauora in
New Zealand (TUHA-NZ), which was a health promotion framework based on fulfillment of
particular objective of health promotion associated with the ToW (Ombler, Russell & Rivera-
Munoz, 2016). The ToW also exhibits considerable usage in the New Zealand Health Strategy
(NZHS) followed at present (Prussing & Newbury, 2016). As opined by Came, McCreanor,
Doole and Rawson (2016), one of the significant strategies outlined in the NZHS, is the
formulation of a single team, for the improvement of decision-making activities by Pacific
citizens and Maoris through increase in investment (McCreanor, Doole & Rawson, 2016). The
Maori Health Strategy also utilsied the prciniple framrowork of ToW (Hayes, 2016).

2HEALTH PROMOTION OF MAORIS IN NEW ZEALAND
However, inequality in healthcare is still present between Europeans and Maoris despite
presence of health promotion activities as mentioned in the ToW (Marmot, 2015). Came and
Tudor (2017) have highlighted this inequality, mainly in the form of racism in the community
and institutions as a major factor which leads to unequal healthcare distribution (Came & Tudor,
2017). Hence, there still prevails an absence of health promotion in the NZHS (Disney et al.,
2017). Thus, the need of the hour is to amend the TUHA-NZ, for the purpose of fulfilling the
foundational principles of ToW (Inwood, Oxley & Roberts, 2015). This will result in healthcare
equity and the associated health promotion (Came, 2014).

3HEALTH PROMOTION OF MAORIS IN NEW ZEALAND
References
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4HEALTH PROMOTION OF MAORIS IN NEW ZEALAND
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