Nurturing Maori health

NEW PADDLERS FOR HAUORA WAKA: An event was held for Te Waiora o Nukutaimemeha, the Hauora Tairāwhiti district health board's Māori Relationship Board to hand over to new iwi Māori partnership board, Toitū Te Ora, under the country's new healthcare system. Fro left are incoming board members Raniera Proctor, Tania Rauna, Petra Hape, Tina Ngata and Huti Watson, and outgoing board members Na Raihania, Te Aturangi Nepia Clamp, Lois McCarthy-Robinson and Molly Para. Absent are Toitū te Ora board members Wai Houia and Josh Wharehinga. Picture supplied

Toitu Tairāwhiti iwi chairs are delighted to announce the establishment of iwi Maori partnership board Tairawhiti Toitu Te Ora.

The seven-member board will play a critical role in navigating the challenges and opportunities in the sweeping health system reforms formally launched last Friday.

Tairāwhiti Toitu Te Ora is one of 16 iwi Māori partnership boards established under the new Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act.

The board's primary purpose is to represent local iwi and Māori perspectives on the needs and aspirations of Māori in relation to hauora outcomes, monitor the performance of the health sector in responding to these, and inform and monitor the design and delivery of services and public health interventions within Tairawhiti.

To achieve this the board will be required to engage with whanau and hapū about local health needs and communicate these to Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) and Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority).

The board will play a critical role in evaluating the state of hauora Māori in Tairāwhiti to determine local priorities for improving hauora Māori, and will work with Te Aka Whai Ora and Te Whatu Ora to agree on a Tairāwhiti Locality Plan.

Ongoing responsibilities will include monitoring the performance of the health sector in Tairawhiti, engaging with Te Aka Whai Ora and supporting its stewardship of hauora Māori and its priorities for kaupapa Māori investment and innovation.

The board will also report on the activities of Te Aka Whai Ora within Tairawhiti and nominate members for appointment to the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee.

Tairāwhiti Toitu Te Ora comprises four iwi representatives selected by Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Rongowhakaata and Ngai Tamanuhiri, and three general representatives selected through an open expression of interest process.

All board members were appointed by the Toitu Tairāwhiti iwi chairs.

“We were heartened by the calibre of applicants for the Tairāwhiti partnership board,” said Ngati Porou chair Selwyn Parata. “We were clear that board selection would be based on the best people for the job — people who could engage with our whānau, hapū and communities, had a depth and breadth of understanding of local health needs and priorities, are strong advocates for hauora Māori and had the passion, expertise and credibility to champion improved health outcomes for whānau in Tairāwhiti.”

The four iwi-selected representatives are Tina Ngata, Waimarie Houia, Petra Hape and Raniera Proctor.

The three general representatives are Huti Watson, Josh Wharehinga and Tania Rauna.

Te Aitanga a Mahaki chair Pene Brown said they were confident that the members of the inaugural board “will step up and demonstrate the agile, focused leadership required to ensure our region's health priorities, needs and aspirations are not only understood but also realised”.

Tamanuhiri Tutu Poroporo Trust chair Pauline Hill said: “We appreciate that there will be a lot of expectations of the new board. We are confident that they will establish the appropriate communication channels to engage with whanau, inform them about their role, plans and aspirations, and seek their input into setting the hauora priorities for Tairāwhiti.”