New Zealand\u2019s Maori Health Authority will be shutdown by June 20, the health minister said on Tuesday, as the centre-right government winds back indigenous policies of previous governments.The Maori Health Authority, or Te Aka Whai Ora, was established in 2022 to improve health outcomes of Maori, which lag the broader population. Maori make up 17% of the country\u2019s population.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon\u2019s centre-right coalition, which took office in October, has promised to undo policies of previous governments, particularly those promoting the official use of the Maori language and seeking to enhance Indigenous living standards and rights.The move is seen by many indigenous groups as undermining their rights and status and has sparked protests. Luxon says his policy is aimed at giving all New Zealanders equal rights.Minister of Health Shane Reti said the Maori Health Authority will be absorbed by the national health system.Transferring its roles into the public health system means the health system keeps the expertise it needs to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders including Maori,\u201d Reti said in a statement.The move was recommended by a permanent commission, known as the Waitangi Tribunal, which has been hearing claims from Maori since the 1970s and suggesting redress where necessary.Jacqui Harema, chief executive of the largest Maori public health entity Hapa to Hauora, said Maori knew better how to look after their own people and to improve their outcomes and for the Maori Health Authority to be disestablished was alarming.\u201cMaori know what is best for them. They need to be able to be funded to be able to resource solutions that are grounded in our own world view for our own people,\u201d Harema said.Harema said for example where Maori heath providers were funded to deliver COVID-19 vaccines they were more successful at reaching their population because they worked with families, had vaccines providers who were known in communities and the information provided spoke to their populations.Maori groups and tribes have been pushing back on government reforms to indigenous policies with nationwide protests being held and some have taken legal action. A claim has been lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal over the plan to close the Maori Health Authority but the closure will be official before the Tribunal hears the claim.(Reuters)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New Zealand’s Maori Health Authority, established in 2022 to improve health outcomes for the Maori population, will be shut down by June 20, as announced by the health minister. The decision is part of the centre-right government’s initiative to reverse indigenous policies of previous administrations. The Maori, who constitute 17% of New Zealand’s population, have experienced health outcomes that lag behind the broader population. The government, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon since October, aims to dismantle policies promoting the Maori language and enhancing Indigenous living standards and rights. This move has led to protests from indigenous groups. The Maori Health Authority will be integrated into the national health system, a move supported by the Minister of Health Shane Reti, who believes it will retain necessary expertise for improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders, including Maori. The decision was recommended by the Waitangi Tribunal, a permanent commission addressing Maori claims since the 1970s. Jacqui Harema, CEO of Hapa to Hauora, criticized the disestablishment, emphasizing the effectiveness of Maori-led health initiatives. Nationwide protests and legal actions have been initiated by Maori groups and tribes in response to the government’s reforms. A claim against the closure has been lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal, which will not be heard before the official closure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[432,3,415,210,945,388,864,577,730,18],"class_list":["post-3317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyprus","tag-covid","tag-cyprus","tag-government","tag-health","tag-maori","tag-new-zealand","tag-population","tag-protests","tag-vaccines","tag-world"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n