Pacific Health

Ola Manuia provides more detail on the Te Whatu Ora approach to strengthening Pacific health enablers and taking action on the Pacific Health priorities.

We know many areas of the health system are not working well for Pacific people, aiga, ngutuare tangata, famili, kāinga, magafaoa, kaiga, vuvale and kaaiga (families) and communities.

The actions we take over the next two years will support Pacific families and communities in New Zealand to stay well, and to enable Pacific people to access the care they need, where they need it.

Priorities for Pacific health come from lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and from what Pacific communities have told us.

• Mothers and babies
• Children and youth
• Older people
• Tagata sa’ilimalo | disabled people
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Long-term conditions, including cancer, diabetes, and gout
• Pandemic response, including addressing gaps and challenges over the last two years

• Establish a robust system that supports Pacific health data, clinical and community insights.
• Support strong Pacific commissioning and Pacific provider development.
• Support and grow a strong Pacific workforce.
• Advance Pacific health priority areas.
• Address the health needs of priority populations and urgently address care gaps that have appeared during the pandemic.

• Build on a national Pacific community and lived experience engagement framework.
• Establish a robust national Pacific health data and intelligence function.
• Establish a highly connected Pacific Clinical Network to help support and mobilise the Pacific clinical workforce.
• Commission research to support the development of evidence-based care pathways and responsive models in priority clinical areas.
• Resource Pacific community hubs so Pacific health providers can work together at local and regional levels.
• Co-create partnerships with new Pacific providers in growth areas that do not already have a Pacific health provider.
• Support the continuation of innovative models-of-care developed through the COVID-19 response.
• Fund Pacific providers who implement models of Pacific family-centred care that integrate maternity early years care, primary care, hospital and social service providers.
• Enter into high-trust, flexible and outcomes-based contracts with Pacific providers based on their needs and innovative approaches.
• Develop a comprehensive Pacific Health Workforce Development Strategy.
• Work with the education sector to identify secondary and tertiary education barriers to Pacific health education and training, and the solutions to help.
• Invest in initiatives and activities supporting Pacific health providers’ workforce capability and capacity development.
• Establish a programme to support the training and employment of Pacific nurse specialists.
• Investigate options to increase General Practice Education Programmes 1 and 2 teaching practices within Pacific providers.
• Develop a Pacific family-focused diabetes integrated care model.
• Support ongoing work across the sector to reduce current cancer health inequities of Pacific people and families.
• Work with Northern region health providers, health leaders and researchers to develop maternal mental health models-of-care for Pacific women.
• Support Pacific providers to identify and address the health needs of priority communities.
• Ensure Pacific people and aiga are prioritised in the restart of planned care following the pandemic.
• Work with health providers and sector leaders to address the health gaps and needs of Pacific children following the pandemic.