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Government is putting $1 million into a one-off fund aimed at increasing awareness and reducing rheumatic fever in high-risk Maori communities.
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says children and young people from Maori and Pacific communities are the most vulnerable to what is a serious but preventable disease.
The Rheumatic Fever Maori Community Fund targets the Northland, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti DHB regions where most of the Maori rheumatic fever cases occur.
The DHBs will distribute funding to Maori community groups for small-scale initiatives to test innovative solutions for increasing awareness and helping to prevent rheumatic fever.
Dr Coleman says latest figures show a 45 per cent rheumatic fever reduction from 2012 to 2015, including 54 per cent reduction in cases among Maori.
The rate for Pacific people only dropped 27 per cent.
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