Iwi and Māori health providers in the top of the South
have launched a research project to better understand the
voices of Māori and their experiences throughout the
Covid-19 pandemic.
The Te Tauihu Covid-19 Research
Project is part of the Te Tauihu Covid Māori Action Plan
2022, which aims to reduce inequities for Māori in the
local Covid-19 response.
All Māori across the rohe
are being called on to take part in the study.
“Iwi
and Māori health providers, along with Te Whatu Ora –
Nelson Marlborough have been working together since the
start of the pandemic to help reduce inequities in the
response, with a more formal grouping established at the end
of last year,” says Dr Lorraine Eade, Pouwhakahaere Rauemi
(operations manager) for Te Kotahi o Te Tauihu Trust, a
collaboration of the eight iwi of Te Tauihu.
“That
resulted in the action plan. But despite our best efforts,
and despite the really strong partnerships we have developed
along the way with our local health authorities, we know
that inequities still exist. There are gaps and we need to
identify exactly where those are from a whānau point of
view.”
Dr Eade says the purpose of the research can
be summed up in three words: “To do better.”
Dr
Melissa Cragg is the research project lead. Based in Wairau,
she has dedicated the past two decades to achieving better
health outcomes for Māori. She has held a range of health
sector roles, including Senior Project Manager – Mental
Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Kaiwhakahaere
Kaupapa at the former Nelson Marlborough District Health
Board, Te Kaihautu at Poutini Waiora and is a member of Hei
Ahuru Mowai, the National Māori Cancer Leadership
Board.
She says when it comes to health inequity, the
voice of whānau Māori is integral to finding solutions.
She is therefore encouraging as many of the 18,000-strong Te
Tauihu Māori population as possible to take
part.
“A study such as this is a snapshot in time
and is reliant on those whānau who choose to take part.
That’s why it is important for a wide range of whānau to
share their experiences with us, so we have as full a
picture as possible.”
Dr Cragg says there are no
fixed ideas in terms of themes that might emerge. While
there are known challenges, she says there will also be many
stories of whānau resilience.
“We know from
informal conversations with whānau to date what some of the
challenges have been but anticipate the breadth of this will
become more apparent once we speak with a wider range of
whānau across Marlborough, Nelson and
Tasman.
“Challenges can cover a full range of
things, like financial impacts through lost income or
reduced hours at work, and the flow on from that; mental
health impacts, including for those who have never
experienced any form of mental health distress before. Then
there’s the conflicting views within whānau regarding
vaccination as well as access to services and support. These
could all be part of the many experiences that are shared
through this project.”
The project will be
underpinned by kaupapa Māori methodologies and will
therefore centre on whānau voices and experiences. Research
will involve a conversation with a research assistant,
either by phone, Zoom, or in person. There is also an option
to answer questions using an online form.
“The
kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) approach allows whānau
to share in a safe, non-judgemental space. For many, it will
be the first time they have been asked to share their
experiences and many find it very powerful and
therapeutic.
And from a research point of view, it
also has great benefits: “You cannot get any truer than
whānau experience.”
Whānau Māori resident in
Te Tauihu o Te Waka-a-Māui (Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough)
who want to take part in the Te Tauihu Covid-19 Research
Project can register with Dr Melissa Cragg by emailing
melissa.cragg@xtra.co.nz.
Or, for more information, see the Te Kotahi o Te Tauihu
Trust website.
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