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September 20, 2022
Tikanga sought for bowel screen programme
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On September 20, 2022
Te Taitokerau is taking a tikanga Māori approach to the rollout of the national bowel screening programme.
Programme lead and Whangarei surgeon Maxine Ronald says Maori are disproportionally affected by what’s one of the biggest cancer killers in Aotearoa.
She says Maori and iwi health providers were asked what could be done to overcome the stigma and whakama surrounding the tests.
“Maori in Te Taitokerau recommended the screening programme was delivered in a face to face manner by people they knew and trusted, that there was local control of the programme and that we used tikanga Maori to make people feel comfortable to participate in the screening programme,” Dr Ronald says.
A Maori project officer has been appointed to visit marae and community settings, and a series of videos produced with tangata rongonui who have had bowel cancer talking about their experience.
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