He Ara Waiora webinar 3: The Future - What if our health system continues to fail some of us?

Whare Tukutuku invites you to join the last of our three-part ‘He Ara Waiora’ Webinar series about the challenges of reducing Alcohol and other drugs and associated harms within hapori Māori (Māori communities).

“Our health system is broken and disproportionately failing Māori.”
- Jacinda Ardern, Nov 2020 leaders debate against Judith Collins 

Numerous reports, reviews, and a Treaty inquiry into our Healthcare systems - all affirm Prime Minister Ardern’s words. In every health and wellbeing metric, Māori fare poorly. The Simpson Report, New Zealand’s biggest Healthcare review in a generation, said that after 80 years, Māori still have significantly worse health outcomes than non-Māori.

We know that Māori and Pacific people suffer much higher rates of mental illness and addiction than other New Zealanders - 1 in 3 for Māori and 1 in 4 for Pacific people, compared to 1 in 5 for the rest of the population. The Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry estimated the burden of mental illness is costing New Zealanders $12 billion a year - that's 5% of gross domestic product.

Statistics NZ estimates that by 2038 the Māori population will have grown from 850,000 to over one million, and the Pasifikā population from 450,000 to 650,000. With the total population expected to reach over 5.2 million people, these growing Māori and Pasifikā populations will have a significant impact on the future of Aotearoa.

Guest presenters Gilbert Taurua and Dr Rawiri Jensen will look down the curve at what the future holds, if the healthcare system continues to fail Māori and Pasifikā. How will it affect our healthcare system as both populations expand? How will it affect their potential as a people?  How will that affect New Zealand as a whole? Both Gilbert and Rawiri bring vast knowledge and experience to this incredibly significant korero.

GILBERT TAURUA: Ngāpuhi me Te Atihaunui

Gilbert has three decades of experience across a broad range of healthcare sector roles, half of them in senior Māori positions. He is currently the Chief Māori Strategy and Improvement Officer with Southern District Health Board and WellSouth Primary Care Network.

Gilbert holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work from the University of Canterbury. Christchurch born, married with three special children, he has worked at an senior management level within DHBs and understands the dynamics at play in providing quality clinical care within a changing fiscal environment. He has significant governance experience, including as Principal Advisor Māori New Zealand Drug Foundation, National Māori Manager for the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand, and Director Māori Health with the Whanganui District Health Board.

DR. RAWIRI JANSEN: Ngāti Raukawa

Rawiri has being a GP for two decades and currently practices in Papakura, South Auckland. He is also part of the Executive Team for National Hauora Coalition.

Formerly a resource teacher of Māori language, Dr Jansen completed his medical training at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland in 2000. This was his second attempt at Medical School, after interrupting his studies to be an activist and protestor (Māori land, Māori language, Nuclear Free Independent Pacific and 1981 Springbok Tour). Dr Jansen provided clinical teaching, Te Reo, and Tikanga Māori programmes for Māori health professionals throughout the country for several years. He has been Chairman of Te Ataarangi Trust (a national Māori language organisation), and Chairperson of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Māori Medical Practitioners Association). He self-published a Māori medical phrasebook in 2006. Dr Jansen's main focus now is providing clinical leadership towards Māori health equity as a General Practitioner and Clinical Director for a Primary Healthcare Organisation.

• Webinar 1: Te Tiriti o Waitangi - a Pathway to Wellness? [Thursday November 5, 6.30pm]
• Webinar 2: Biculturalism - Is Aotearoa ready for a clinical and cultural approach to wellness? [Thursday November 19, 6.30pm]
• Webinar 3: The Future - What happens if our health system continues to fail tangata Māori? [Thursday December 10, 6.30pm]