Tribal health policy in New Zealand

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7412.456

BMJ 2003;327:456 (23 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7412.456

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Tribal health policy in New Zealand

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

I greet you as a descendant of the tribal peoples of Whanganui,Ngati Apa, Nga Rauru, Ngati Rangi, and Ngati Tuwharetoa. Ourancestry binds us to the volcanic mountains of Ruapehu andTongariro in the central North Island of New Zealand, and theWhanganui and Whangaehu rivers that flow down their flanks to the Tasman Sea.

Twenty years ago our people established our own community healthand social services, to deal with the crisis of indigenoushealth in a colonial society. Conventional Western medicinehas been unable to close the disparities in mortality and healthrevealed in official statistics. Maori people die on average10 years younger than pakeha (Europeans), often from preventableor treatable cancers and heart disease associated with lifestylefactors.

As part of our drive towards self reliance and self determination,our people decided to take our health into our own hands, andI was one of . . . [Full text of this article]

Tariana Turia, associate minister for health

New Zealand