June 01, 2017
Primary gaps affect Maori cancer care
A Maori public health researcher says cancer control policy in Aotearoa New Zealand does not adequately address Maori needs.
Tania Slater of Ngapuhi was awarded a PhD by Massey University in Wellington last week for her work on the system of care for Maori with cancer.
Working with cancer patients, she found gaps in the support offered by primary health care providers.
Dr Slater says there is still a one-size-fits-all approach to health service provision, and she would like to see cultural safety education across all cancer services.
Indigenous people worldwide have much poorer cancer survival rates than the general population, with primary care an important factor in cancer prevention, detection and access to treatment and supportive care.
Dr Slater’s PhD research was done as part of a Health Research Council-funded study on Maori and cancer led by Dr Lis Ellison-Loschmann from Massey’s Centre for Public Health Research.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com