Nicola Coburn, Author at Te Kāhui Hauora Iwi Māori Partnership Board

Kaitiaki Hauora is a national alliance bringing together patients, health workers, Māori health representatives, unions, advocacy organisations, youth voices, and community groups who share a commitment to protecting and strengthening publicly funded healthcare in Aotearoa. The group has formed in response to increasing pressure on the public health system and growing concern about the impact this is having on patients, whānau, communities, and the health workforce.

Kaitiaki Hauora exists to promote and ultimately achieve full and sustainable funding for a public health system that meets the needs of everyone in Aotearoa throughout their lives. The alliance stands for accessible, equitable, evidence‑based healthcare, and supports a strong, publicly delivered system rather than outsourcing services to private interests.

The group’s kaupapa is grounded in honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, embedding equity and partnership in health system design, funding, and service delivery. Its values include transparency, fairness, respect for health workers, collaborative leadership, and supporting the democratic voice of those who deliver and rely on public healthcare.

by Nicola Coburn

A new era for Te Piki Oranga

Te Piki Oranga’s new Whakatū Hauora Hub at 199 Nayland Rd officially opened to whānau and the public on January 12 with a pōwhiri and guided tours.

The renovated and refurbished building (formerly Otumarama rest home and hospital), houses staff and services from the organisation’s offices and hauora hubs in Bishopdale and Richmond, which closed in late December 2025 to allow for relocation.

With its whānau rooms and clinical spaces, the new hauora hub will, in time, also house a birthing suite as an additional Te Puāwai he Kākano health service.

The new hub is a transformative move for hauora Māori services in Tauihu. Te Kāhui Hauora acknowledge the vision and drive of Te Piki Oranga kaimahi and the Board of iwi representatives.

Hui ā-Tau 2026

Nau mai, haere mai ki te Hui ā-Tau o Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu.

The Board invite interested stakeholders to join us for our Hui ā Tau to be held at Ūkaipō in Grovetown (11 Fell St), Wairau on Saturday, March 7, at 10.30am.

We will present the Annual Report for the April 2024 to June 2025 period* and provide an update of the Te Kāhui Hauora journey to date.

Please RSVP by emailing [email protected] and be sure to include any dietary requirements.

*Te Kahui Hauora o Te Tauihu IMPB was exempt from filing financial statements with Charities Services in December 2024. As a result, the financial statements within this Annual Report cover an extended 15-month period.

by Nicola Coburn

From the Pouwhakahaere

Kia ora koutou katoa

As political tensions continue to rise, the manaakitanga and kotahitanga on display at Whakatū Marae on Te Rā o Waitangi were a breath of fresh air. For many years, the marae has opened its doors to all in the community in a show of mutual respect and understanding. Dozens, if not hundreds, of whānau, once again pulled together to host the crowds, and, for me, it was a great reminder that it is here at the flaxroots where change happens and where our focus is best placed.

Last week, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission released the results of a survey which examined general awareness, understanding and attitudes to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, human rights and New Zealand’s constitution. The results show us that the rhetoric favoured by the Coalition Government is not representative of our wider communities. In fact, a sense of belonging, respect for human rights, and an understanding of our history are overwhelmingly viewed as important to Aotearoa’s future. A majority of 78% of respondents viewed respectful discussion about Te Tiriti as important; 83% viewed positive relationships between Māori and the Crown as important, and 70% saw the legal and constitutional protection of Te Tiriti as important.

This year, Te Kāhui Hauora will continue to fight for equity in health. We refuse to be held at the mercy of politics and the changing whims of government when there is work to be done.

Mauri ora

Kim Ngawhika

Pouwhakahaere, Te Kāhui Hauora IMPB

by Nicola Coburn

Whānau Voice 2.0

A huge thank you to whānau who have completed the latest Whānau Voice survey. We’ve had a great response so far, and along with our iwi partners, will continue to seek the voices of whānau through to the end of May 2026.

Already, we are seeing some key themes emerge across the rohe. These include:

ongoing difficulty accessing timely GP appointments
the emotional and navigational complexity of cancer journeys
mental wellbeing emerges consistently across iwi as both a health priority and a compounding factor affecting access to care.
workforce stability is a critical enabler of whānau experience.
strong support for kaupapa Māori and Māori-led services.
a desire for broader wellbeing options that sit alongside clinical services
challenges navigating services, understanding options, and knowing what to ask for.

Alongside access pressures, whānau voice also highlights what is working:

Consistent, relationship-based care leads to positive experiences
Kaupapa Māori services are trusted and valued
Whānau feel supported when services uphold mana and cultural values

We encourage you to share the survey link with your whānau and friends and workplaces, and of course, if you have a few minutes spare, your input is welcomed and valuable.

by Nicola Coburn

Pūrongo ā-Tau | Annual Report 2024-5

While it has been a difficult year, shaped by a challenging political environment, Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu IMPB has remained focused on our kaupapa and hapori Māori of Te Tauihu.

We are pleased to release our second Pūrongo ā-Tau (Annual Report) for the period from April 2024 to June 2025*.

*Te Kahui Hauora o Te Tauihu IMPB was exempt from filing financial statements with Charities Services in December 2024. As a result, the financial statements within the Annual Report cover an extended 15-month period.

by Nicola Coburn

Ngā Rongo Hauora mō Te Tauihu | Tīhema 2025

Ngā mihi o te wā

Before the out-of-office notes go on, I wanted to say a huge mihi nui to our stakeholders for your support over the past year.

The landscape in which we operate has undergone significant shifts in the past 12 months, as the Coalition Government advances legislation to weaken our influence within the health system.

Despite this, Te Kāhui Hauora remains absolutely committed to our mission. We have a credible, whānau-led evidence base and a priority framework that remains relevant and valuable, regardless of legislative settings, and we will continue work to ensure Māori health equity remains a system-level obligation, not an optional input.

Thank you to all of you who are working to improve hauora Māori outcomes across the rohe. Together, we can create the change that whānau envision. Tēnei te mihi rawa atu ki a koutou katoa.

Enjoy this time with whānau and friends. Kia pai katoa te tau e tū mai ne.

Kim

Kim Ngawhika

Pouwhakahaere, Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu Iwi Māori Partnership Board

Office hours

Our office will close at 12pm, Wednesday, December 24. We are back on deck from 9am, Monday, January 5, 2026.

Hāpaitia

Hāpaitia: Supporting and Strengthening Māori Mental Health Specialist Services in Aotearoa New Zealand was a project undertaken by the Oranga Hinengaro team within Te Aka Whai Ora before its disestablishment in June 2024. It aimed to understand the state of specialist mental health care and identify areas for improvement. The report is now available to view here.

Whānau Voice Te Tauihu

For the next six months, Te Kāhui Hauora is welcoming whānau Māori across Te Tauihu to share their experiences of (and aspirations for) the health system in our rohe. We are keen to hear from as many Māori in Te Tauihu as possible. See the Pātai section on our website for more information, or click here to access the survey directly.

Pae Ora amendments

The Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill is now expected to face its second reading in the House in February. The first sitting day for Parliament in 2026 is Tuesday, January 27.

Te Reo mō te Rori

Hitting the road this summer? Check out this awesomeTe Reo mō te Rori resource from Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori.

by Nicola Coburn

Te Kāhui Hauora rejects committee's final report

PĀNUI PĀPĀHO / MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Select committee brushes off evidence and widespread opposition to Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill

The Iwi Māori Partnership Board for the top of the South Island says the Health Committee’s final report on proposed amendments to the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act is further proof that the Coalition Government is not listening and is not interested in equitable outcomes for all.

Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu is one of 15 regional Iwi Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) set up with iwi partners under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act (2022) to ensure the voices of Māori are heard in healthcare decision-making and improve hauora outcomes for Māori.

When Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, which was central to the Pae Ora reforms, was dismantled in June last year, IMPBs were assured they would continue to play an integral - and expanded function – within the health system to address entrenched inequities in health outcomes.

Not even 18 months later, that commitment lies in tatters.

On Friday afternoon, the Health Committee quietly released its final report on Health Minister Simeon Brown’s Health Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill, recommending the bill be passed and paving the way for IMPBs to be largely stripped of their core functions.

Te Kāhui Hauora Pouwhakahaere, Dr. Kim Ngawhika, says the amendment bill, likely to face its second reading in Parliament in the coming weeks, is dangerous and puts lives at risk.

“The bill undoes years of progress. It strips our ability to shape local investment decisions, monitor system performance, and lead improvement actions. It also removes a legislative requirement for Health NZ to respond to our priorities, sidelining our voices once again. This only perpetuates the very underperformance and inequities that have plagued Māori health for decades.”

Among a raft of changes, the bill also strips key health sector principles designed to address inequities for all populations and passes responsibility for health performance monitoring from IMPBs to a politically appointed ministerial advisory committee.

The clause on Te Tiriti o Waitangi has also been modified, replacing the active obligations of partnership, protection, and participation with passive recognition.

Dr. Ngawhika said the Health Committee had overlooked the fact that continued inequities carried a very real human and financial cost to local health systems and had brushed aside decades of research and advice from leading health experts.

“When the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 came into force, Sections 29 and 30 established IMPBs as strategic partners in the health system, a role anchored in the Te Tiriti o Waitangi provisions set out in Section 6.

“This was not a symbolic gesture. It was a deliberate and evidence-based approach, informed by health system reviews, decades of health system strategies, and research from here and overseas. The findings were consistent: communities achieve better health outcomes when they have a direct and formal voice in the prioritisation, design, and delivery of services that affect them. Yet here, we are, again.

“We wholeheartedly and firmly reject the Health Committee’s recommendation that the bill be passed and regard it as both unnecessary and harmful. This is another assault on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and on Māori.”

ENDS

CONTACT

E: [email protected] M: 021 2595 166

NOTES

Te Kāhui Hauora o Te Tauihu is the Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) for Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui, the northern South Island, encompassing the Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough regions.
Te Kāhui Hauora represents the collective voice of the eight iwi of Te Tauihu (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Rangitāne o Wairau and Te Ātiawa o te Waka-a-Māui) and Te Tauihu-based mātāwaka whānau.
IMPBs were legislated in 2022 to engage with whānau and hapū about local health needs, evaluate the current state of Māori health, identify priorities, and monitor performance of the local health system.

by Nicola Coburn

Are you up to date?

What screening programmes and immunisations are available?

In Aotearoa, there are many health screening tests and immunisations available for every age and stage of your life. Most, but not all, are available free. You can find further up-to-date information on screening and health checks at Healthify Te Puna Waiora.

What are the 5 free screening programmes?

There are 5 free screening programmes (health checks) for certain population groups living anywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand. Find out who is eligible in the section below.

* Note that while the cervical screening programme itself is free, there is generally a charge for an HPV Primary Screening test to be done.

Antenatal screening for Down syndrome and other conditions is also offered. It's your choice whether or not to have this screening.

What health checks are available?

BreastScreen Aotearoa is available for women aged between 45 and 69 years to reduce their risk of dying of breast cancer.

National Bowel Screening Programme is for men and women in New Zealand aged 60 to 74 years.

National Cervical Screening Programme is available to all people with a cervix in New Zealand aged between 25 and 69 years. This is available free for some people, read more about who is eligible for a free screening on the cervical screening page.

Newborn Metabolic Screening Programme heel prick test when your baby is around 48 hours old.

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme All babies now have access to newborn hearing screening free of charge.

Antenatal screening for Down syndrome and other conditions for wāhine who are less than 20 weeks pregnant.

The Core Health Checks 12 free core contacts to check on your child's growth and development, oral health, immunisations and whānau health and wellbeing.

The B4 School Check is a nationwide programme offering a free health and development check for 4 to 5 year-olds.

Other checks

You can also use a free tool called My Heart Check. Read more about heart risk assessment.

Funded vaccinations

Vaccines are funded for some children and adults at high risk of some diseases if they have other medical conditions. These include vaccines for:

publicly funded hepatitis A
hepatitis B
haemophilus influenzae type b
human papillomavirus (HPV)
influenza
meningococcal disease
pertussis (whooping cough)
pneumococcal disease
tuberculosis
varicella.

For more details, see funded vaccines for special groups.

by Nicola Coburn