Pacific Islanders ‘need health education’

Press, 19 May 1989, Page 5

Pacific Islanders ‘need health education’

’ By

SARONA IOSEFA

Pacific Islanders were not asking for any special privileges of the New Zealand health system, only some awareness of cultural differences and their effects on health treatment, said the national secretary of the Samoan Nurses’ Association (N.Z.), Mrs Anna Bailey. Mrs Bailey, who was in Christchurch to attend the Christchurch branch’s open day, said the health system needed to address

providing Pacific Islanders with a firm basis of health education. “No-one can refute health statistics which show Pacific Islanders as the most high-risk category of the New Zealand population in illnesses such as diabetes and hepatitis. But what are health authorities doing to address the problem,” she asked. The Samoan Nurse’s Association was working as a catalyst to bring

changes about because it was a group that believed Pacific Islanders should help themselves. “The way to do that is through a health education programme run by trained Pacific Island health staff for Pacific Island people,” Mrs Bailey said. That would save thousands in health fees. “By preventative health education, we can catch our people before it gets to the hospital stage,” she said.