October 28, 2020
Drug research grant speeds up career
The Health Research Council has awarded a postdoctoral fellowship to Erena Wikaire of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hine to conduct a kaupapa Māori analysis of cannabis and methamphetamine use.
The $554,000 Hohua Tutengaehe Fellowship is one of several career development awards announced by the council today.
Dr Wikaire, who has been looking at health inequities within Māori communities, says the current Western health system approach to substance use often takes a “victim-blame” approach and lacks strategic interventions to address the root causes of problems.
She says there are few if any, studies that ask Māori why they use substances and very little Māori voice.
Her study will attempt to apply traditional Māori understandings of health and healing to reduce wider influences of drug harms and improve health outcomes for whānau.
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