E Tipu E Rea Calling for Targeted, Whole-Whānau Strategies to Address Whooping Cough in the First 2,000 Days

Ngāti Pāoa Health and Social Service, E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services—a kaupapa Māori organisation supporting young parents and their pēpi through the critical first 2,000 days—express deep sadness at the loss of a pēpi to Pertussis (whooping cough) over the Christmas period. This loss has motivated them to speak out for other pēpi, including those in their service, vulnerable to the infection; "We grieve for the whānau of this pēpi who have lost a future rangatira and tautoko what has been shared in that one loss is too many”.

As of January 2025, E Tipu E Rea have had no confirmed cases of whooping cough, which Mana Amorangi (CEO), Zoe Witika-Hawke attributes to the far-reaching efforts taken in response to the epidemic. “Over the last year, we’ve had to take some different, often far-reaching strategies, including offering the vaccine to not only māmā and pēpi, but the entire whānau—pāpā, kaumātua—and this has been at our own expense, as it’s unfunded. We go to these lengths because we know what’s required to improve vaccine rates in our community, but it also highlights the urgent need for funding a whole whānau approach in the first 2,000 days.”

The comprehensive early years and maternity care provided by E Tipu E Rea includes Māori midwifery, social and cultural support, community outreach nurses, and childhood immunisations, all focused on supporting the health and well-being of pēpi and whānau during the critical first 2,000 days.

Since expanding their service in July 2023 to include vaccinations, Witika-Hawke shares that they’ve also seen some interesting trends in their service that challenge stereotypes around the motivation of mātua taiohi (teen parents). “We’ve noticed that young māmā are highly motivated to get the whooping cough vaccination, driven by their desire to protect the hauora of their pēpi. We’ve also observed that whānau are more interested in vaccination when they know others who have had whooping cough, which tells us how important shared experience is and the value of getting advice from those we trust”.

E Tipu E Rea is encouraging not only hapū māmā, but pāpā with young pēpi, and the wider whānau to kōrero with their midwives, community nurses, and those in their lives who have been through Pertussis; “we need to have these conversations- kōrero to those you can trust, because one pēpi lost is too many”.

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