July 04, 2017
Whakawhetu to close it’s kuaha
After 24 years of spear heading research and preventative work in SUDI, Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy the national kaupapa Maori programme 'Whakawhetu' is closing its doors.
Whakawhetu is renown for developing preventative initiatives like wahakura, baby sleeping baskets and working alongside the Coroners Department to prevent criminalisation of whanau experiencing SUDI.
Former CEO of Whakawhetu, Katherine Clark says the programme is being run out of Auckland University and now after two decades it's time to pass it over to Maori.
"And if the next stage is about stronger Maori leadership we should be celebrating that. The Auckland university was a holder of the contract for 24 years and maybe it should have been devolved to Maori earlier. We've got to take some level of pride and satisfaction that it's actually gone out to Maori", she says.
Katherine Clark pays tribute to the work done by Dr Tipene Leach and Riripeti Haretuku who drove the wahakura initiative.
"Other parts of the sector also have played their part and made sure that our whanau are being seen early during their pregnancy and receiving the right level of care after the pepi is born. Without the wakakura and without the movement of the weavers, we wouldn't have wahakura to give to our whanau and really I think the gain sits with them" says Katherine Clark, former CEO of Whakawhetu.
In the meanwhile the national contract to continue work around SUDI prevention has been awarded to a West Auckland Health Care Provider and they will be announced later this year.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com