Leading Māori health advocate Louisa Wall says recent changes to access for diabetes medications have reignited concerns about health equity and whether New Zealand’s healthcare system is meeting its obligations to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Wall, who affiliates to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Waikato and Ngāti Hineuru, is chair of the Tūwharetoa Iwi Māori Partnership Board and spokesperson for Kaitiaki Hauora. She says decisions around access to diabetes treatments have significant implications for Māori and Pacific communities, who experience disproportionately high rates of diabetes and related health complications.
Diabetes remains one of the most significant health challenges facing Māori and Pacific peoples, contributing to higher rates of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. Health advocates say improving access to modern and effective treatments is critical to reducing these longstanding inequities.
Wall says healthcare should be viewed as a taonga under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, requiring the Crown to actively protect Māori health and ensure equitable outcomes. She argues that public health policy must move beyond treating everyone the same and instead focus on addressing the unequal burdens faced by communities with the greatest need.
Concerns have been raised that pharmaceutical funding decisions often prioritise population-wide cost considerations without adequately accounting for the disproportionate impact of chronic illnesses on Māori and Pacific peoples.
Wall says Treaty obligations require decision-makers to consider equity, partnership and active protection when determining access to medicines and healthcare services. She believes Māori perspectives must be embedded throughout the decision-making process, rather than being consulted after key decisions have already been made.
She is calling for a stronger focus on culturally grounded healthcare delivery, including Māori-led services, earlier intervention, better community-based support and improved access to effective diabetes treatments.
Wall says equitable access requires more than simply funding medicines. It also means ensuring whānau can access culturally safe healthcare professionals, receive timely diagnoses and have the support needed to manage long-term conditions successfully.
As diabetes rates continue to rise, Māori health leaders are urging policymakers to place equity at the centre of future healthcare reforms and ensure that Māori communities receive the resources and support necessary to achieve better health outcomes.
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