#hauora: Whānau at the Heart of the Fight Against Diabetes in Te Tai Tokerau
The Ngāti Hine Health Trust in New Zealand is addressing high diabetes rates among Māori communities through culturally grounded, whānau-centered care. By focusing on prevention, community education, and specialized training for frontline workers, the trust aims to reduce serious complications like amputations.
Why it matters
It highlights the effectiveness of integrating indigenous cultural values into public health strategies to address systemic health disparities.
Diabetes continues to have a devastating impact on Māori communities across Aotearoa, but one Northland health provider is demonstrating that culturally grounded, whānau-centred care can make a real difference.
Speaking on Radio Waatea, Dr Mataroria Lyndon , Medical Advisor for Ngāti Hine Health Trust , outlined the Trust’s work to improve health outcomes by combining clinical expertise with kaupapa Māori approaches to health and wellbeing.
The Trust has become a leader in tackling diabetes in Te Tai Tokerau through prevention programmes, education initiatives and workforce development, recognising that reversing the growing burden of diabetes requires far more than simply prescribing medication.
Diabetes remains one of New Zealand’s most significant public health issues, with Māori developing Type 2 diabetes at younger ages and experiencing higher rates of serious complications than non-Māori.
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