Maori worst off in health tables for sickly Bay

Maori are "over-represented" in the poor health statistics that have seen Hawkes Bay labelled as the unhealthiest region in the country.

The report, which looked at 50 health indicators such as breast cancer, bowel cancer and tuberculosis, found the Bay had the highest ratio of those diseases.

Audrey Robin, chief executive of Maori health provider Te Kupenga Hauora Ahuriri (TKH), said many Maori were over-represented in the report as they had difficulty accessing healthcare and other services.

Many could not afford to visit GPs or even the price of prescriptions.

Some did not even have access to a telephone or car to visit their GP in the first place, Mrs Robin said.

She called for more money for services targeted at those in need, and a more collaborative approach between other Government agencies such as Child, Youth and Family and Work and Income. District Health Board chief Chris Clarke said it was important not to "blame the victim".

These problems affected the whole community and should be addressed by everyone, he said.

The problems the report highlighted were "challenging" for the board but not impossible to remedy.

Demographics showed that the Hawkes Bay's population had a growing number of older people and Maori children.

These two areas would be priorities for the board's future health strategy, said Mr Clarke.

The report, prepared by board medical officer of health Caroline McElnay last year, was commissioned in the wake of a Ministry of Health review of the nation's health.

Tukituki MP Rick Barker said the area should take notice of the results of the health report.

But he said the report could be flawed as it gave equal weight to a variety of illnesses and incidents.

"I have been through the maths of it and can fault it on a range of levels. Some statistics are unavailable and there was no weighting between low birth rates and burns.

"Some things are obviously much more serious than others but are given equal weighting," said Mr Barker.

"Having said that, it would be easy to say the maths were not strong enough, but I think that would be a mistake. This is about how we live our lives and the decisions we make in our day-to-day living."

Napier MP Russell Fairbrother said Hawkes Bay's District Health Board should be congratulated for acknowledging the region's health problems.

"It's excellent that the board has established these figures because it gives them the opportunities to improve them," he said.

"Hawkes Bay is an attractive place to live ... it's an optimistic place and there's a good chance you'll find work," said Mr Fairbrother.

"The report also gives the DHB the power and authority to tackle these issues that may get passed over at a central Government level."

- NZPA