Te Aka Whai Ora - Maori Health Authority

Healthcare delivery in Aotearoa New Zealand is transforming. For the better. At the heart of our new health system is Te Aka Whai Ora.

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!

Our focus will be to create a new health system focused on people – on patients, on communities, and our kaimahi/healthcare workers.

Our role is to lead and monitor transformational change in the way the entire health system understands and responds to the health and wellbeing needs of whānau Māori.

We know major change is needed. We’ve seen this through the Health and Disability System Review, the Waitangi Tribunal’s Wai 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry, the Government's Inquiry into mental health and addiction, and public submissions to the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill.

Everyone who calls Aotearoa New Zealand home deserves a strong public health system that works for us all. Everyone should receive the right type of healthcare when, how and where we need it – but this isn’t happening, especially for whānau Māori.

The reforms will create a fairer, more coordinated and connected system to deliver better health and wellbeing for all.

Māori are crucial to this kaupapa. Whānau deserve to live longer and healthier lives, and for too long they have suffered poor health outcomes that are unfair, unjust – and largely avoidable.

Transforming an entire health system takes time.

Our mahi starts by getting our structure right and building a solid platform to launch from, to create long-term success. Te Aka Whai Ora | Māori Health Authority is an independent Public Health agency responsible to enhance tino rangatiratanga and strengthen mana motuhake for hauora Māori and ensure greater influence throughout the entire health system to support whānau to take control of their own health and wellbeing.

This is central to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ensuring everyone in Aotearoa has the same access to good health outcomes.