October 18, 2018
System keeping Māori health behind
JOHN TAMIHERE INTERVIEW CLICK HERE
An urban Māori leader says Maori are fighting the same battles over health as leaders like Te Rangi Hīroa, Sir Maui Pōmare and Sir Apirana Ngata fought a century ago.
Waipareira Trust head John Tamihere gave evidence this week to the Waitangi Tribunal's health outcomes inquiry about the conditions faced by Māori in west Auckland and nationally through providers working with whānau ora commissioning agency Te Pou Matakana.
He says while life expectancy has increased across the board, Māori still live on average eight years less than their Pākeha counterparts.
That's not just because of lower incomes and poorer quality housing but because of prejudice in the health system.
"It doesn't matter what clinic you go to, if you are Māori you get a poor service. The evidence for that has become quite compelling and unless we are willing to change the culture and the mindset of mainstream not willing to share power and resource for us to be self-determining, I see a very bleak future," Mr Tamihere says.
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