Sir Collin Tukuitonga Appointed To WHO Strategic And Advisory Group

Associate Professor
Sir Collin Tukuitonga has been appointed as the World Health
Organisation (WHO) chair of the Strategic and Technical
Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of
Noncommunicable Diseases (STAG-NCD).

Sir
Collin says the new role will see him advising on how best
to manage conditions such as gout, obesity, diabetes, heart
disease, and other noncommunicable diseases that affect
Māori and Pacific disproportionately in comparison to other
communities. The appointment will give Māori and Pacific a
stronger voice in this area.

“The World
Health Organisation relies on experts from around the world,
they have groups to advise them on what works, what
doesn’t work and what the priorities are. I’ve been
doing some work with World Health Organisation for some time
so this is an additional responsibility particularly working
with a global group.”

His focus will be on the
Pacific region in particular small island states that have
major problems with diseases such as diabetes but lack the
resources to make headway, lamenting the efforts that have
been made over the decades to tackles rates and improve
health outcomes.

Life expectancy rates in Aotearoa for
Māori male sit on average at 73 years, seven years less
than non-Māori, while Māori females live on average to 77,
six years less than non-Māori.

For Pacific peoples
the numbers were only marginally better, with Pacific men
living to approximately 75 years and Pacific women living to
an average of 79 years. Outside of Aotearoa in the Pacific
Island small states the numbers dropped down to
approximately 69 years.

He said the one size fits all
tactic was not effective for certain groups, that there was
a need for targeted health support for Māori and Pacific;
that taking the same old, same old approach would not bring
about any improvements or lift
outcomes.

Sir Collin says Men’s Health
Week was a timely reminder for Māori and Pacific men to
check in with their health providers, advising those aged in
their 40s onwards, to have their blood pressure and blood
sugar checked, and to do so on a fairly regular
basis.

He said his appointment will allow
him from a global point of view to identify things that make
a difference. Sir Collin will hold the role for the next two
years.

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