Healthy outlook

Sir Mason Durie speaks about the gains Maori health has made and what needs to be done. Photo / Andrew Warner

What can Maori do themselves?

That was the question posed by Maori health expert Sir Mason Durie during a talk on Maori health in Tauranga.

Bay of Plenty Maori health concerns did not stand out from the rest of New Zealand but Tauranga Maori were "enthusiastic for change", through participating in sports such as waka ama and living healthy lifestyles, he said.

"It's a good sign."

Sir Mason outlined the Maori health initiative Pae ora, which incorporates mauri ora (healthy individuals), whanau ora (healthy families) and wai ora (healthy environments).

Sir Mason was asked by Bay of Plenty District Health Board Maori health planning and funding general manager Janet McLean to talk to the board and the wider community groups about the progress Maori health had made in the past 30 years and what needed to be done. "A wider community and regional response is required for the next 30 years.

"It will require refocusing towards the determinants of health," Sir Mason said.

Sir Mason gave the attentive crowd scenarios of how the Bay of Plenty could continue turning Maori health statistics around.

He suggested that the community recognise the significant gains Maori health had made over the past 30 years, especially in minimising the gap between Maori and non-Maori.

"Do not let the disparities and problems mark the achievements in the last 30 years and get overwhelmed and not recognise the significant gains," Sir Mason said.

He suggested district health boards and iwis take the lead on Maori health and well-being, rather than leaving it up to the health sector.

Sir Mason's health advice had changed over the past 30 years, from "don't drink and don't smoke", to now telling young Maori, "give it heaps, you can be the best you ever thought you'd be".

His proudest achievement in the past 30 years was that many Maori could expect to live an extra eight years, with the Maori life expectancy moving upwards.

Sir Mason was also extremely happy with the large number of Maori who had kicked their smoking habit, as well as the increasing number who never picked it up.

He attributed this to factors such as sport and fitness, especially in young boys, as a motivating influence to not start smoking.

His thoughts on health for the young people of the Bay of Plenty this summer was "stay well and swim well".