Overview
All people in Aotearoa will live in a country with improved determinants of health, holistic preventive interventions and comprehensive health services that removes health disparities and promotes equity for the most marginalised groups - including women, Māori, Pasifika, Rainbow, disabled, fat, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and those living with chronic conditions, rare disorders and stigmatised diseases such as HIV.
To reflect our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we have adopted Te Whare Tapa Whā framework, which explores conceptual and practical ways to address health and health equity through the values of whānau, hinengaro, tinana, and wairua.
We have adapted Te Whare Tapa Whā to consider what health would look like for a child or young person in the context of their whānau. Therefore, the policy is framed as:
- Whānau (family/connection): a safe pregnancy, setting a child up for life, and whanaungatanga.
- Hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing): safe in our homes and communities, trusting knowing help is there, and being seen and finding hope.
- Tinana (physical health): a full belly, an easy confidence, and a caring workforce.
- Wairua (spiritual health): finding peace and meaning, living language and culture, and planning for end of life.
Vision
Our whānau, hinengaro, tinana and wairua are upheld throughout our health journeys.
Strategic Priorities
Actions in this policy that will help achieve our strategic priorities on health include:
- Reconfigure our health system towards recognising and acting on oppressive and intersecting biases (e.g. racism, sexism, ableism, fatphobia, ageism, queerphobia, transphobia) and the knowledge and skills required to work with affected communities, such as Deaf and disabled people. (1.11)
- Support Te Hiringa Mahara | Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to transform mental and emotional wellbeing care, monitor services, and lead a whole of government approach that holds it to account. (2.2)
- Increase the affordability of healthy foods and restrict the marketing, distribution, and affordability of unhealthy and processed foods and beverages. (3.3)
- Provide universal, free and accessible diagnosis, treatment and management for all illnesses and injuries — including fully-funded public provision of dental care, general practitioner clinics, ambulance and emergency services, aged care, palliative care, and mental health services. (3.6, 3.9)
- Invest in and ensure timely and equitable access to the most up-to-date research, procedures, medicines, diagnostics, vaccines, and other health technologies—including gender-affirming healthcare and rare disorder treatments. (3.10)
- Invest in fair wages, pay parity, a reasonable workload, and conditions that support the wellbeing of health workers. (3.17)
- Centre health, health equity, and community empowerment in climate change research, planning and responses. (4.2)
Connected Policies
Health Policy impacts many groups who have poorer health outcomes so the actions in this policy supplement other actions in our Disability, Kaupapa Māori, Rainbow, Women’s, Youth, Children’s and Accident Compensation Policies. Health is affected by a range of social and political factors which are considered in other policies that include our Transport, Housing and Sustainable Communities, Recreation and Sport, Food, Livelihoods, Drug Law Reform, Justice, and Education Policies. The economic and commercially shaped environments in which we live, work and play are also integral to our wellbeing and actions on these can be found in our Government in the Economy, Trade and Foreign Investment, Digital, Media, and Workforce Policies. Human health is also deeply affected by the health of the planet so our Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environmental Regeneration, Freshwater, Land Use and Soils, Mining, and Waste and Hazardous Substances Policies are essential.
