Pre-election polls have found that behind the cost-of-living, health is the most urgent concern among New Zealanders but disparities for Māori paint an even starker picture, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says the current situation is bad for everyone, but health care does not fall evenly in Aotearoa, and the lines between equality and equity in the delivery of health services is blurred to suit certain political ideologies.
"Let’s cut to the chase and speak about our most vulnerable members of society. According to several studies, Māori children are more likely to be diagnosed with but are less likely to survive their cancer once diagnosed.
"The reality is Aotearoa has a health system based on western models from which many Māori feel culturally alienated. This means they are much more likely to seek health care late, or not at all."
Kerri Nuku says overall Māori are 1.6 times more likely to die from cancer than non-Māori. Similar stats apply to Ischaemic heart disease and stroke, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes.
New research released today found Māori living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas are 2.7 times more likely to develop diabetes than those in the least deprived areas.
"And it doesn’t stop there. Self-harm as a cause of death is the leading cause of years of life lost among rangatahi, which highlights urgent mental health needs."
Results from the recent Mata-Horizon poll of Māori voters found in the past year 67% of Māori respondents put off getting, or gone without, health care.
"The survey reveals almost one-third did not trust the country's health care system to provide them with the care they needed.
"That’s a tragedy, but denying Māori culturally appropriate care also puts a greater strain on the health system’s resources through longer than necessary treatment and longer hospital stays. Those are resources that could be used to fund more beds or pay wages for more nurses."
Kerri Nuku says upholding te Tiriti o Waitangi means Māori having self-determination over their own health and wellbeing and achieving equitable health outcomes.
"Political parties don’t seem to grasp how bad things will get in the next few years if these problems aren’t addressed.
"We’re calling on all political parties this election to commit to initiatives to close health inequities which result in Māori suffering more preventable diseases and living shorter lives."