Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Maori, Pacific peoples over-represented in death toll - health agency analysis

Testing centres were an important part of the Covid protection strategy but Māori must be a priority. Photo / NZME

More than 2000 New Zealanders have died as a direct result of Covid-19, or it's been a contributing cause, since the pandemic began. But it hasn't killed equally, with Māori, Pacific peoples, and the elderly significantly over-represented in the death toll.

Those who are poor, unvaccinated or with underlying health conditions are still at a higher risk.

The Public Health Agency analysis examined almost 1800 deaths between January 1 and August 26 this year.

Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) interim chief medical officer Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen (Ngāti Raukawa) says the findings are not surprising but are disappointing, "partly because it was predictable".

Māori had a mortality risk of double to almost four times higher than other groups. In the under-60s category, Māori accounted for 36 per cent of all deaths.

Interim Māori Health Authority Chief Medical Officer Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen. Photo / NZME

"Socio-economic status was a very significant contributor to the differential outcomes," Jansen says. "But it's more than that, so Māori experiencing Covid have come on top of the housing crisis. It's also come on top of a health service that hasn't met their needs for a long time."

Jansen says to achieve equity for Māori and Pacific peoples in hauora and other sectors, interventions within the health system and even other government systems are required to make sure different and better outcomes are seen.

"Income and employment have been really significant for us in terms of complexity so, if we want equity, then we have to be influential across all of those sectors."

A delayed rollout on vaccinating Māori from Covid-19, along with disinformation and misinformation on the topic, were also contributors. Vaccination, being one of the learnings from the analysis, is something to keep up to date with, Jansen says.

"It's important to be keeping up with vaccinations, paying attention to the testing and if you are positive you do need to isolate.

"The Covid numbers will creep back up in the weeks to come. We've got to stay close to those real important measures."