About NZGG / NZGG Policies

Maori Health Policy

EE nga mana, e nga reo, e nga waka, i roto te motu o Aotearoa, tena koutou. Tena koutou hoki i o tatou tini aitua kua ngaro ki te ao wairua, haere atu ra koutou, haere. Ratou nga konohi ngaro kia ratou, tatou nga kanohi kitea, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.

Greetings also to those who have passed onto the spirit world, farewell to you all. Greetings to us all.
They the dead have passed on, we the living, remain.

The New Zealand Guidelines Group supports the correct use of the Maori language and in particular that macrons be used in Maori words where appropriate.

However, the ability to display macrons on our website is limited by current technology.  As a result of this technical constraint, the macrons which should appear in some Maori language words may either appear incorrectly, or not appear at all.

The New Zealand Guidelines Group apologises for any offence this may cause.

Introduction
The New Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG) acknowledges the importance of the Treaty of Waitangi to New Zealand. The Treaty establishes a unique and special relationship between iwi, Maori and the Crown. The NZGG considers the Treaty principles of partnership, participation and protection as central to improving Maori health. Therefore, the NZGG will operate in a manner that is consistent with these principles with the overall aim of improving Maori health and reducing disparities in health status between Maori and non-Maori.

The NZGG acknowledges that Maori Health is a specifically identified health gain priority area in New Zealand. This purpose of this document is to:

• outline Maori involvement in guidelines activity to date
• document the NZGG's Maori health policy
• specify how the NZGG intends to implement this policy by proactively involving Maori and explicitly considering Maori health improvement in its activities.

Previous and current Maori involvement in guidelines work in New Zealand
The NZGG has explicitly involved Maori health professionals and consumers in its work to date. Professor Colin Mantell, Head of Department of Maori and Pacific Island Health at Auckland University, has been a member of the NZGG advisory group since 1997. In April 1999, Owen Lloyd of Te Runanga O Turanganui A Kiwa and Manager of Maori Health at Tairawhiti Healthcare, was appointed as one of two consumer representatives on the advisory group. Sharon Lambert, Chief Executive of Nga Ngaru Hauora O Aotearoa (National Maori Health Providers Association) and also the National Council of Maori Nurses, served a a member of the NZGG Board 2001-2003

The NZGG supported and funded a dedicated three-day guidelines training programme for 30 Maori health workers at Te Rapa in March 1998. The programme was organised and convened by the Auckland University Department of Maori and Pacific Island Health. The NZGG consumer guidelines training programme in June 1998 included Maori participants.

Both national guidelines conferences organised by the NZGG (June 1997 and May 1999) have had active Maori participation including workshops on Maori and guidelines.

A number of Maori health professionals and consumers have been involved in the development of specific guidelines in New Zealand. Most guidelines development teams have deliberately included Maori representatives and address Maori health concerns as a central part of each NZGG publication.

NZGG policy on Maori health
In order to help achieve improvements in Maori health and reduce Maori/non-Maori health disparities, the NZGG will continue to involve Maori proactively in its activities and consider explicitly the health needs of Maori in its work.

Implementation of this policy
To give effect to this policy, the NZGG will:

1. Continue to have at least two Maori directors on its Board to ensure Maori input into governance of the Group;
   
   
2. Maintain and continue to develop links with Maori health care professional organisations, such as Te Ora, Nga Ngaru Hauora O Aotearoa, Maori health care and disability support providers and Maori consumer groups to help promote the principles of evidence-based practice with these groups;
   
   
3. Ensure that guidelines development teams sponsored directly by the NZGG include Maori representation;
   
   
4. Promote a policy of inclusion of Maori participants on all guidelines teams that are not directly sponsored by the NZGG;
   
   
5. Encourage guidelines development teams to consider evidence about the effectiveness of health and disability practice for Maori where such evidence exists;
   
   
6. Encourage guidelines teams to explicitly consider strategies to implement their guidelines with Maori health and disability professionals and consumers;
   
   
7. Ensure that there are Maori participants in all guidelines training activities;
   
   
8. Promote and support active Maori participation in the three working groups supported by the NZGG;
   
   
9. Work with Maori organisations such as Te Ora to improve the inclusion of Maori values in the development and implementation of best-practice guidelines;
   
   
10. Promote evidence-based practice throughout the health care sector so that Maori, who suffer a disproportionate burden of disease, are able to benefit from the most effective diagnosis and management;
    
    
11. Disseminate information about effective practice widely to Maori health and disability professionals and consumers to improve overall knowledge of what practice is effective

In September 2001, the NZGG Advisory Board restated its commitment to having a workable, realistic way of involving Maori in the development of evidence-based guidelines, as well as:

• the value of working collaboratively and the need to incorporate a broad range of perspectives as a guideline is developed;
  
  
• the need to give guideline development teams time to listen to each other and form a view on the evidence together, before a guideline is circulated externally;
  
  
• the need to make guideline development teams "safe" environments for all participants to present their points of view and for these perspectives to be heard, acknowledged and valued;
  
  
• the need to be transparent about the focus of the evidence and range of methodologies when searching for and appraising evidence;
  
  
• to ensure there is a focus on research questions and methodologies that are relevant to consumers;
  
  
• agreement that evidence of a qualitative nature should be woven into scientific evidence.

In September 2003 the NZGG Advisory Board commissioned a Treaty of Waitangi audit to consider the way these policies are enacted.