June 04, 2024
Fight for equity earns king’s medal
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One of the many wāhine Māori recipients in of a King’s Birthday honour feels it’s an acknowledgement for the mahi she and her whānau have done for Māori health off the clock.
Matire Harwood received the King’s Service Medal, with the citation noting her teaching work at the Auckland University medical school, her general practice at Papakura Marae, her co-chairing of Te Whatu Ora’s clinical research steering group and membership of the Health Ministry’s Hauora Māori Advisory Committee and her mahi as editor of the Māori Health Review.
She says she aims to challenge inequity in Māori health through innovation informed by experience.
“I love the fact that I’ve been able to work with whānau, with people in designing interventions and testing them and being able to demonstrate that Māori-led solutions and innovation that are key to addressing inequity in our society and it’s only through addressing inequity do we actually get to thrive and flourish as a people,” Dr Harwood says.