New Directions for Maori Health Welcomed
te-pati-maori
Wed Jan 24 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
New Directions for Maori Health Welcomed
Wednesday, 24 January 2007, 4:50 pm
Press Release: The Maori Party
Maori Party Welcomes New Directions for Maori Health
Tariana Turia, Co-leader, Maori Party and Health Spokesperson
Wednesday 24 January 2007
Maori Party health spokesperson, Tariana Turia, welcomed today’s announcements by the Health Research Council of $1m funding to support the Maori health research workforce.
“After a season of doom and gloom, it is great to see the new directions being developed by Maori health leaders” said Mrs Turia.
Emma Wyeth of the University of Otago was awarded the Eru Pomare Research Fellowship for her project, Kei ruka, Kei raro: Maori health experiences and perspectives.
“The project by Emma Wyeth recognises the significance of learning from tangata whenua about the encounters they have had with the health system, such as heart and lung disease, injury-related disability, and Maori health outcomes in general” said Mrs Turia.
“I will be particularly interested in the ideas Ms Wyeth has around Ngai Tahu views of health-related genetic research” said Mrs Turia.
“The relevance of this research is of course highlighted by the current policy work on human embryo use in medical research in areas such as human reproduction, cancer, Parkinsons and spinal injuries".
“Whanau have very strong views about the collective rights to embryo in the context of whakapapa” said Mrs Turia. “The Maori Party will be fascinated to watch the progress of this project”.
The other major announcement from the HRC was the Erihapeti Rehu-Murchie Research Fellowship in Maori Health awarded to Dr Cherryl Smith, of Te Atawhai o Te Ao, for her project, ‘He Mokopuna, He Taonga’.
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“I’m looking forward to the outcomes of this new project from Cherryl (Smith)” said Mrs Turia. “Her project, examining the health of grandparents who become full time caregivers of their grandchildren, reminds us all that health is a whanau right and responsibility; that the wellbeing of tangata whenua is best understood in the context of whanau”.
Mrs Turia also praised the decisions of the Health Research Council in sponsoring other areas of emerging priority, including the exploration of resiliency factors for prevention and management of Chlamydia in young Maori women; and the prevention of obesity in Maori communities.
“It is really exciting to see Maori researchers taking such brave steps in determining our health outcomes” said Mrs Turia. “We know the solutions lie within ourselves – and who better, than tangata whenua – to give us ideas about how to best improve the health and wellbeing of Maori”.
"Whilst we fully endorse these innovative new projects from the Maori health research workforce" concluded Mrs Turia, "the Maori Party notes that $1m is a pretty measly amount to spend on the Maori health workforce, out of a total pool of well over $54 million".
Background
According to the Estimates of Appropriations for the Government of New Zealand for the Year Ending 30 June 2006: Vote Research, Science and Technology, $54, 066 million was allocated for the “Health Research” output in 2005/2006 (p. 1125). In addition, other funds are also accessed through partnerships with the Ministry of Health and other government agencies as well as external funders, such as Wellcome Trust.
According to the Report of the Health Research Funding Council of New Zealand for the Year ended 30 June 2006 (p. 44), the total cost of Output 6: Maori Health Research was $2, 070 million.
ENDS
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