BMJ  2003;327 (23 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7412.0-d

Indigenous health needs innovative thinking

In the Education and Debate section of this week's theme issue on indigenous health, authors from New Zealand, Canada, and Australia share their best practices and proposals for change. Foliaki and Pearce (p 437) discuss how the prevention and control of diabetes in Pacific people must take account of the political and economic conditions for improving health, as well as emphasising the role of individuals in changing their lifestyles and health habits. Bloomfield and Logan (p 439) argue that a quality improvement framework is a better approach to healthcare priority setting and funding decisions than is the explicit prioritisation processes that have recently taken place in New Zealand. McPherson and colleagues (p 443) show how developments at national and local levels have reduced the disparities in life expectancies and health among indigenous people in New Zealand. On p 445 Cunningham and colleagues discuss the tripartite memorandum of understanding on indigenous health research signed by Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, which aims to share information and expertise on health research funding.

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Relevant Articles

Prevention and control of diabetes in Pacific people

Sunia Foliaki and Neil Pearce
BMJ 2003 327: 437-439. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Quality improvement perspective and healthcare funding decisions

Ashley Bloomfield and Robert Logan
BMJ 2003 327: 439-443. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Ethnicity, equity, and quality: lessons from New Zealand

K M McPherson, M Harwood, and H K McNaughton
BMJ 2003 327: 443-444. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Health research and indigenous health

Chris Cunningham, Jeff Reading, and Sandra Eades
BMJ 2003 327: 445-447. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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