Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board Hosts Inaugural Forum With Health Providers To Strengthen Whānau Voices In Waikato

Today marks a pivotal milestone for Māori health in the Waikato as the Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) holds its first-ever forum with specific regional health providers both mainstream and Māori.

It has brought together those specifically focussed in the area of primary care and cancer to align with current reporting topics that Te Tiratū is canvassing in the community.

The hui is a vital step in realising the aspirations of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act, which mandates IMPBs to bring the voices of whānau directly into the heart of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand planning and decision-making.

At the heart of the discussions are insights gathered through the Whānau Voice initiative — a culturally grounded approach led by Te Tiratū kaimahi using surveys, hui, kanohi ki te kanohi kōrero, and existing research and data.

This powerful community feedback tool paints a sobering picture of the current health landscape for Māori in Waikato.

Key Challenges Raised by Whānau Voice:

• Access & Availability
  • Long wait times for appointments.
  • Shortage of Māori-led, tamariki-focused, and mental health services.
  • Disrupted continuity in GP care and low trust in the system.
• Health Navigation
  • Strong call for more health and whānau navigators.
  • Confusion around available services and support pathways.
  • Lack of follow-up and poor communication post-diagnosis.
• Cancer Journeys
  • Late diagnoses, particularly lung and prostate cancers.
  • Emotional and financial strain on kaumātua caregivers.
  • Gaps in transport, spiritual care, and access to rongoā Māori.
• System Gaps
  • Fragmented care and poor integration between hospitals, PHOs, and services.
  • Limited awareness of entitlements like travel support and Cancer Society aid.

“These stories are a clear call to action,” says Brandi Hudson, Te Tumu Whakarae of Te Tiratū.

“Whānau are asking for a system that listens, responds, and restores trust. Today’s forum is a first step in reshaping that system together with these providers who understand the lived realities of our people.”

“It’s only the start as we intend to proactively meet with many diverse stakeholders in the system operating in our regional area – Māori providers, mainstream providers, NGOs – to zero in on specific areas of interest we’re monitoring.”

Demographic Realities Driving the Urgency:

The Te Tiratū region has a youthful and growing Māori population, projected to rise from 25% in 2023 to 29% by 2043. Nearly half (48%) of Māori are under 25, demanding proactive and youth-focused planning.

At the same time, the Māori population aged 65+ is set to grow by 40% by 2043, increasing the need for age-friendly, culturally safe services for kaumātua and kuia — who already face greater financial barriers to care than their non-Māori counterparts.

Health Priorities Set by Te Tiratū IMPB:

As part of its Community Health Plan, Te Tiratū has tabled three immediate priorities with Te Whatu Ora:

1. Pepe and Māmā – First 100 Days
   • Māori infants face 1.5x higher rates of avoidable hospital admissions and are almost twice as likely to die as non-Māori infants.
2. Hauora Hinengaro – Mental Wellbeing
   • Psychological distress among Māori adults is climbing (from 11% to 18%), with 18% of the region’s 47,000 mental health-related GP visits involving Māori.
3. Ngā Kaumātua me Ngā Kuia – Elders’ Health Equity
   • While older Māori may delay care less frequently, they report more hardship accessing services than non-Māori peers.

Today’s forum is the first of many to come facilitated by Te Tiratū IMPB uniting health system stakeholders to explore and respond to the latest Whānau Voice insights.

“Whānau Voice is not just a report — it’s a relationship,” says Hudson.

“The insights shared come from trust built kanohi ki te kanohi. That’s what our health system needs more of: trust, connection, and commitment to Māori solutions.”

Notes:

Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board serves 114,990 whānau Māori representing Tainui Waka, Ngāti Haua & Mātāwaka.

It is a member of the largest IMPB collective Te Manawa Taki Iwi-Māori Partnership Board.

Te Tiratū is the largest of the six boards that also includes Te Taura Ora o Waiariki IMPB (Te Arawa), Te Moana a Toi IMPB (Bay of Plenty), Tūwharetoa IMPB, Te Pūnanga Ora IMPB (Taranaki) and Toitu Tairāwhiti IMPB.

Currently the Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora is redesigning the Hauora Māori Strategy following extensive public consultation that attracted over 1,500 submissions.

It will replace Pae Tū, the interim framework introduced as part of the broader Pae Ora strategies in 2023.

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