Rural health leaders are calling for urgent nationwide action to address what they describe as serious and preventable inequities affecting rural communities across Aotearoa.
The call comes following the release of the Aotearoa New Zealand Declaration on Rural Health 2026 at the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference in Wellington.
The Declaration outlines a national roadmap aimed at improving healthcare access, strengthening rural health systems and addressing longstanding disparities facing rural communities — particularly rural Māori.
Health leaders warn the impacts of rural isolation, deprivation and colonisation continue to create compounding inequities that have been ignored for too long.
Hauora Taiwhenua Chairperson Dr Fiona Bolden says rural communities have repeatedly raised concerns about healthcare access, workforce shortages and policy failures, but progress has not matched the scale of the problem.
The Declaration argues decades of urban-focused policy and funding decisions have widened the gap between government planning and the realities of rural life.
Among the key priorities identified are improving equitable access to healthcare, strengthening rural workforce recruitment and retention, expanding rural health research and supporting innovation in rural healthcare delivery.
The Declaration also highlights the growing role artificial intelligence and virtual healthcare technologies could play in improving access to care for isolated communities.
A major focus is strengthening rural generalist healthcare across multiple professions to ensure communities have access to locally based health services.
Rural health advocates say one of the most important recommendations is the introduction of “rural proofing” across all health policies and funding decisions.
Hauora Taiwhenua Chief Executive Dr Grant Davidson says too many policies are still designed for urban systems before being retrofitted to rural communities where they often fail to meet local needs.
The Declaration also strongly reinforces the importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and mātauranga Māori in shaping future healthcare policy, acknowledging rural Māori continue to experience some of the country’s worst health inequities.
International rural health leaders attending the conference say similar challenges are being experienced globally, with growing recognition that rural communities require solutions designed specifically for their realities rather than urban models adapted after the fact.
Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey, speaking on behalf of Health Minister Simeon Brown, endorsed the strategic direction outlined in the Declaration and said aspects aligned with work already underway by the Government.
Hauora Taiwhenua says the Declaration is intended to serve as a practical framework for rebuilding a more equitable and sustainable rural health system for future generations.
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