HEALTH OF MAORIS.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 46, 25 February 1936, Page 4

HEALTH OF MAORIS.

Many agencies are working together to sustain and improve the health of the Maori people, and years of steady effort show a fine statistical result, observes the “New Zealand Herald,” in recent editorial comment. “The decline of the race has been arrested, and its rate of natural increase is greater than that of the European community in New Zealand. It seems clear that the Maoris have acquired a good measure of immunity from diseases which wrought havoc among them in the last century, but as much, or more, is due to the activities of health officers, nurses, teachers, missionaries, hospital boards and the more enlightened natives through their own village councils. At the same time, there are signs that all is not well and that more progress is needed. Recently a fairly severe outbreak of typhoid occurred among Maoris in the Hawera district and the health officers had difficulty in fighting it because some of the people were very reticent, not wanting their sick removed to hospital. Now the hospital board and Maori representatives have met and agreed that there shall be no more passive obstruction.”