MEDIA STATEMENT
Hon Tariana Turia
Co-Leader of the Maori Party
19 May 2011

$12m to fight rheumatic fever among tamariki

The Maori Party is working hard to confront rheumatic fever which Maori and Pasifika children are 20 to 40 times more likely to contract than other New Zealand children.

“This disease needs to be stamped out so we’re pleased to have been able to secure some funding to try and achieve that,” Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said.

“The children more likely to suffer come from our vulnerable communities and that’s where this funding will go to.”

“We’re focused on frontline services to families. The funding will strengthen primary health care services in high risk areas for rheumatic fever” said Mrs Turia.

The new programme, which will be funded over four years, will support a number of initiatives including increasing front line community staff, school based sore throat clinics and a range of resource and training programmes for health professional and community workers.

The Maori Party’s health policy focuses on being healthy and living longer. It is also driven by the recognition that the cost, quality and location of health services all have a material impact on the wellbeing of families.

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