As communities across Aotearoa celebrate Puanga and Matariki, the Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board is launching a new three-part report series aimed at placing whānau aspirations, lived experiences and solutions at the centre of health planning across the Wellington rohe.
The Puanga–Matariki Insights Series 2026 will be released throughout the Puanga–Matariki season, using the themes of reflection, preparation and renewal to explore how whānau-led approaches can improve health equity and shape a stronger future for Māori health.
The series follows a journey from listening to whānau, investing in community-led innovation and identifying practical actions to address long-standing inequities in the health system.
The first report, the Whānau Voice Grants Report, will be released on 2 July and highlights community-led initiatives that strengthen whānau wellbeing through locally designed and delivered solutions.
On 6 July, the Board will publish Te Māra o Hine Raraunga – Whānau Voice Data Solutions Report, examining how whānau information can be collected, protected and used in ways that uphold trust, rangatiratanga and Māori data sovereignty while supporting better decision-making.
The final report, released on 9 July, is the Stroke and Gout Equity Report, produced in partnership with Stroke Aotearoa and Arthritis New Zealand (Mateponapona Aotearoa).
The report examines the experiences of whānau living with stroke and gout throughout the Wellington region, identifying opportunities to improve prevention, treatment and long-term outcomes while addressing persistent inequities experienced by Māori.
Āti Awa Toa Hauora Partnership Board Manahautū Hikitia Ropata says the reports reflect the Board’s commitment to ensuring whānau voices help shape health system planning and future investment.
He says Puanga and Matariki provide an opportunity to reflect on the past, understand current challenges and prepare for the future, making the season an appropriate time to release research grounded in community aspirations and practical solutions.
According to the Board, each report builds on the previous one by first listening to whānau, then supporting innovation before identifying where the health system must improve to deliver more equitable outcomes.
The series also honours the late Professor Whatarangi Winiata, recognising his lifelong commitment to tino rangatiratanga and the advancement of Māori communities. His vision continues to influence the Board’s approach to whānau-centred decision-making and equitable health outcomes.
The Puanga–Matariki Insights Series reflects the Board’s wider role in strengthening evidence for equitable investment while working alongside iwi, health providers, community organisations and government agencies to improve hauora across the Wellington rohe.
By placing whānau knowledge alongside research and lived experience, the Board hopes the reports will provide a practical foundation for future policy, investment and service delivery that better reflects the aspirations of Māori communities.
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