July 22, 2019
Hutt DHB aims for Māori health equity
Hutt Valley District Heath Board wants to achieve health equity for Māori within nine years.
Māori health director Kerry Dougall says the average life expectancy for Māori men and women in the wider Wellington region is about seven years less than non-Māori.
The DHB’s Māori health strategy, Te Pae Amorangi Māori, aims to turn that around by developing partnerships with Māori communities and encouraging more Māori to take part in the health system.
She says there needs to be a dramatic increase in the number of Māori working at the health board – currently just 6 percent of staff are Māori, including part timers, while the Māori population of the Hutt Valley is 17 per cent.
Other focus areas include organisational development, commissioning, mental health and addictions, the first 1000 days of a baby’s life.
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