Measures for Maori health

Press, 6 March 1985, Page 8

Measures for Maori health

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

Id Wellington

The Government has begun to unveil its specific measures for improving health among Maoris. Details of a new programme on Maori health, the Waiora programme, have been announced by the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett. This follows up the preoccupation of those at last year’s Maori Summit with health issues, and also in-

tense lobbying by the Government’s Maori Policy Committee, of which Mrs Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan (Southern Maori) is chairman. The intention of Waiaro is to “promote total wellbeing” and will start with funding of a little more than $500,000. Waiora has been divided into three arms. • Te Koputu Taonga will involve several Government agencies which share resources, skills, and knowledge with whanau (ex-

tended families) in the community so that they can make their own health decisions. • Video and television programmes will be shown as well as being used by whanau on important Maori ancestors, values, and beliefs. • A Waiora team will be set up to liaise with Maori groups in setting up activities to improve Maori selfesteem, such as genealogy and Maori games. Dr Bassett said some ex-

citing ideas had already been advocated for the Waiora team. To administer the whole project, the Te Waiora O Aotearoa Trust had been set up. Not all members of the trust had been appointed yet. Its function would be to interweave community groups, share round the resources, and promote a favourable image of the Maori people. At the same time, Dr Bassett has released the report from the Hui

Whakaoranga national Maori health planning workshop held in Auckland during March, 1984. This report has had an important influence on the nature of the Waiora programme. It says that health for Maori people includes spiritual, mental, family, and physical wellbeing — not just the absence of sickness. Some of the recommendations of the report have already been acted on.