Sir Howard launches hikoi of hope for Maori health

Sir Howard Morrison wants to stop Maori eating themselves into an early grave.

To that end, the Rotorua entertainer has launched a health initiative, Fight for the Future, aimed at Maori and Pacific Islanders.

Sir Howard said he got sick of watching his Maori and his Pacific Island "brothers" battling obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer through poor health choices. "I am hoping this new programme will help because our elderly are lost too early and our young are sometimes lost before they start.

"This is happening because we have negative lifestyle behaviours, nutritional traditionalism, a cavalier disregard for our health and good old-fashioned ignorance or fear, which are making our people dig their graves with their teeth," he said.

Sir Howard said health professionals and public and private institutions had strategised, planned and adopted programmes and procedures to enhance health outcomes for Maori and Polynesian communities.

However, while programmes and processes were now available, the communities they targeted had yet to embrace them.

Sir Howard hopes to change that by travelling the country via convoy and showing Maori and Pacific Islanders the importance of basic health.

He hopes the hikoi will encourage people to live healthier lifestyles and have regular health checks and screening.

The intention of the hikoi is to deliver positive, sensible health messages, plus have facilities to screen test people for diabetes, body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol.

Sir Howard said the concept for the Fight for the Future project came from his 1991 Ride For Life when he rode a horse the length of the country in support of Life Education, raising $1.5 million.

Te Wananga O Aotearoa spokesman Russell Harrison said the wananga was backing Sir Howard's new project.

"We are really excited about the project and think it will make a significant difference for Maori."