General manager of Maori health Tracee Te Huia disputes that, saying the DHB has directly supported Iron Maori.
"We are funding Iron Maori directly through Te Timatanga Trust," she said.
"Initially, we did an evaluation on the programme through Dr George Gray, and on the results of that evaluation we then began a contracted fund for Iron Maori."
However, board member Heather Skipworth said that, while the board had contracted the trust to run a "few lifestyle initiative programmes", it had never directly supported Iron Maori.
"As a trust they have contracted us but Iron Maori as an overall kaupapa, no," she said.
Ms Whaitiri called for resources to be channelled into Iron Maori, saying it empowered whanau.
"[By] taking charge of their health [and] their life choices, such as what they put on the table," she said.
She said the system was not working because issues were continually being addressed in the "same old way".
"So all I am saying is put resources into things like Iron Maori," said Ms Whaitiri.
"I mean it is just amazing how many people have changed their life."
Ms Te Huia said the Ministry of Health had set standard indicators that it must report by in regard to Maori health and that the DHB could add local indicators as it chose at board level.
"There is around 24 preventative indicators against about 39," she said.
"So from our perspective, 24 preventative indicators are certainly on a good pathway to understanding how we can actually achieve better statistics."
Board member Jacoby Poulain said the DHB was trying to initiate measures to help Maori statistics improve.
"In saying that there is still a whole lot more that needs to be done," she said.
"So more preventative measures have been identified as an area that needs to be worked on in the community.
"I understand we are working towards developing more high trust relationships with Maori providers and community providers that have contact with our whanau."
Ms Skipworth said often Maori were told that "this is what is wrong with you and this is how you should deal with it, so here is some money to go off and deal with it".
"But actually that is not how it should be dealt with," she said.
"What we need is the DHB to allow us to create and design our own health system, because Iron Maori has proved that it works."