Maori health expert to present at Taranaki DHB

August 24, 2015

Maori health expert Sir Mason Durie to present at Taranaki DHB

Taranaki DHB will host public health advocate, psychiatrist and Maori Health expert Sir Mason Durie at Taranaki Base Hospital, where he will present on the Ministry of Health’s Maori Health strategy, Pae Ora.

Launched by the Ministry of Health in 2014, Pae Ora is the Government’s vision for Maori health.

This vision of Pae Ora emphasises the determinants of health and recognises the importance of whānau to good health and the expectations on health practitioners.

Taranaki DHB Chief Advisor Maori Health, Ngawai Henare said, “Sir Mason’s presentation is significant not only for our staff, but also to the wider Taranaki community.”

“While Taranaki DHB incorporates the underlying principles of whānau ora into all aspects of its services, tackling the causes of ill health is a more complex and challenging task,” she added.

“Engaging the support and involvement of sectors and community leaders outside of healthcare is vital, so we are really excited to have Sir Mason here to share his expertise in this area and encourage discussion about the implications of working across sectors,” said Mrs Henare.

Sir Mason is respected nationwide both as a medical practitioner and an expert on Maori health, education and development with more than 20 years of practical psychiatric experience. During 2010 he chaired the Ministerial Taskforce on Whānau Centred Initiatives and from 2011 was chair of the Whānau Ora Governance Group. In 2011 Sir Mason was knighted for his services to both public and Maori health.

One of his most noted contributions to Maori health is the Whare Tapu Wha concept. This is a model of the Maori understanding of health with four dimensions: taha tinana (physical wellbeing), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing), taha whanau (social wellbeing) and taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing). Each of these four dimensions of hauroa (health) influence and support the others.

Apart from ongoing interests in health and social policy, Sir Mason has contributed to the broader field of Māori development and has published widely on Māori health, Māori policy, the Treaty of Waitangi, Māori education and whānau development.

Taranaki DHB’s Maori Health Plan for 2015/2016 is available to the public on the Taranaki DHB website - Taranaki DHB Maori Health Plan 2015/2016. This plan is one of the DHB’s main approaches to improving Maori health to achieve the wider aspirations of Pae Ora, and within the DHB’s overall strategic vision “Taranaki whanui, he rohe oranga” (Taranaki together, a healthy community).

ENDS

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