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Message from
the Chief Executive
Kia ora koutou
I hope you and your loved ones are well and safe and enjoying the beginning of a new season. Autumn is a time when Aotearoa enjoys some of its most settled weather of the year.
I hope that all of the country, especially the regions that have been greatly affected by the recent floods and cyclones experience some calmer weather during our Autumn season.
One of our four strategic priorities is to “ensure equitable provision of, and access to, Government services for ethnic communities”. We know that health and mental health are at the top of our ethnic communities' list for government services that they want to see equitable and improved access to.
During the Covid-19 pandemic we learned a lot about the best ways to reach out to our ethnic communities and the importance of engaging with them as they have first-hand knowledge of their communities, their needs, and how to meet those needs.
We intend to replicate that successful collaboration model and tailor it to address further issues, including health.
Last October, I shared with you our initiative to work with the Chief Executives of Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand), Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority), and Manatū Hauora (Ministry of Health).
The initiative aimed to bring the ethnic communities' specific needs and perspectives to the table. This came just on time as the government is currently working on its health reform strategy for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Since that meeting with health Chief Executives (CEs), our Ministry has taken several actions to engage with our ethnic communities and ensure they have proper channels to share their views on the government health services and how to make them more accessible.
We also had a couple of health-related initiatives to raise the awareness of our ethnic communities of the major health issues and what health services are available for them to help address these issues.
The following is an update on the agreed actions with the health CEs and our Ministry health-related initiatives.
Update on the agreed actions with the health CEs
For Health’s Sake plenary sessions – Ethnic Advantage Conferences
One of our actions was to dedicate a plenary session “For Health’s Sake” in our Ethnic Advantage conferences, which took place in Dunedin and Christchurch in November and December last year. We had a large turnout for these sessions with over 300 people who attended, and the discussions were very constructive. We had officials from both Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority along with community representatives on those panels.
They were interactive sessions where the audience had the opportunity to meet in person with health officials, communicate, ask questions, and raise their concerns directly.
It was rewarding to hear from both government and community representatives that they enjoyed the opportunity to have this direct interaction, make some connections, and know more about the lived experiences of our ethnic communities in relation to health services.
You can watch the health plenary sessions in these highlight videos: Christchurch - Plenary Session 1 For Health Sake - YouTube | Dunedin - Plenary 1 For Health's Sake Highlight - YouTube
Photo: “For Health’s Sake” plenary session at Christchurch Ethnic Advantage conference – 3 December 2022.
From left to right: Aroha Metcalf, General Manager, Te Aka Whai Ora - Māori Health Authority | Abbe Anderson National Director Commissioning, Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand | Shirley Wright Manager, Christchurch Resettlement Service | Mervin Singham, Chief Executive, Ministry for Ethnic Communities.
New Zealand Health Strategy engagement sessions
Another action was to support Manatū Hauora | the Ministry of Health to organise and facilitate engagement sessions on the Pae Ora Health Strategies with ethnic communities across the motu from Whangārei to Invercargill.
The engagements with ethnic communities align with our 2022-2025 Strategy priority 2; Ensuring government services are provided equitably and in ways that are accessible for ethnic communities, and priority 3; Connecting and empowering ethnic community groups.
These engagement sessions put into action one of the points agreed on from the October 2022 health workshop. The Chief Executives of the Ministries of Health and Ethnic Communities agreed that both Ministries will work together to ensure that ethnic communities engage and play a strong role in shaping the New Zealand Health Strategy’.
From 23 February to 24 March, we held 26 in-person sessions across 14 regions. More than 450 members of our ethnic communities and health and social service organisations attended. **
The sessions were designed to get feedback from healthcare sector stakeholders and the community non-health specialist members. Getting the views of both sides was crucial and helpful.
Photos from New Plymouth workshop - 9 March 2023.
During those sessions, we asked three main questions to know where the gaps are and what our communities aspire to see in our health system:
- If the health reforms successfully achieve Pae Ora (healthy futures) for ethnic communities, what would you see, and what would your children see in 20 years?
- What would be the top three things you would change within the current health system that would support improved health outcomes for ethnic communities?
- What does keeping people well in their communities look, sound, and feel like to you?
Responses to these questions will feed into the development of the Pae Ora health Strategies.
If you were unable to attend or missed out, there is still an opportunity to take part in this significant kōrero. We’ll organise three online webinars open for everyone to join, and we will ask the same questions. Keep an eye on our social media channels (Facebook and LinkedIn), as we will announce these online sessions soon.
I was thrilled to see our ethnic communities coming together to discuss issues that matter most to them and future generations.
These engagements were one of a few platforms where we have everyone in the same room: government, community organisations, and individuals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We intend to create such platforms more often.
Photos from Wellington workshop – 13 March 2023.
More photos from the other workshops will be posted on our Facebook page.
Other Ministry's health-related initiatives
Health awareness animation videos
One of our health-related initiatives was to produce health awareness animation videos.
We chose health topics that we know are important to our ethnic communities. The topics range from men’s health, women’s health, mental health, children’s health, youth health, older people, immunisations, anti-viral medicines, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. They will be released in 19 languages.
They are now available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, French, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, and Spanish. They will also be released in Punjabi, Somali, Indonesian, Persian, Urdu, Tagalog, Tamil, Brazilian Portuguese, Thai, and Gujarati.
I invite you to watch these health animation videos and share your feedback with the Ministry. Were these videos useful? Are there any other health topics you want to know more about? Is there another way to raise the awareness of our ethnic communities about health issues and services in New Zealand? Or any other thoughts you feel like sharing with us. We’re open and happy to receive your feedback.
Watch our health videos in English | Watch our health videos in other languages
Meeting with Ethnic Health Collective
On Wednesday, 22 March 2023, my Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and I met with the Ethnic Health Collective (EHC). It was a great meeting to learn more about who Ethnic Health Collective is and how we may better work together to create better health outcomes for ethnic communities.
We updated EHC on our work in the health space, including our mahi with Te Whatu Ora, and they shared their current thinking and work with us.
EHC was launched on 6 December 2022 to improve health equity for ethnic minority communities in Aotearoa. The EHC seeks to influence government policy and support and develop community action to facilitate better health and social care delivery for ethnic communities.
The Asian Network Incorporated (TANI) is the founding organisation of the EHC and will be the fund holder of the EHC in the formative stages. The collective is a group of academics, researchers, medical practitioners, and community leaders.
The current list of representatives in our strategy group is as follows:
- Representative of The Asian Network Incorporated (TANI) - Vishal Rishi (Chair)
- Representative of Asian Family Services - Kelly Feng
- Representative of the Centre for Asian and Ethnic Minority Health Research and Evaluation (CAHRE), School of Population Health, University of Auckland - Dr Rachel Simon Kumar, Dr Roshini Peiris-John
- Representative from the Centre for Migrant and refugee Health Research, School of Public Health, Auckland University of Technology - Dr Eleanor Holroyd
- Representative from the University of Otago - Dr Sherly Parackal
- Public Health Physicians - Dr Suneela Mehta
- Health Promotion Forum of NZ - Dr Grace Wong
- Former President of Auckland Chinese Medical Association (ACMA) and G.P- Dr Carlos Lam
- Representative of Kāhui Tū Kaha - Yasser El Shall
Photo: Standing (left to right): Arthur Chin – MEC Deputy Chief Executive Strategic Engagement and Partnerships, Dr Roshini Peiris-John, Jake Ratu (Cultural Advisor, Kahui tu Kaha), Sarah, (Operational Manager, Kahui tu Kaha), Mervin Singham – MEC Chief Executive, Vishal, Rachel, Yasser. Front row (L to R): Nandita Mathur, Pratima Namasivayam - MEC Deputy Chief Executive Policy and Analytics, Berlinda Chin – MEC Chief Advisor.
I want to wholeheartedly thank everyone who contributed to ensuring the agreements made with our health colleagues have turned into on-ground actions. Thank you to all of the community organisations and leaders, health officials, local and regional councils, and our team in the Ministry for all your invaluable efforts.
None of these could have happened without commitment, dedication, and genuine collaboration to make a real difference for a fair, empowering health system for our ethnic communities.
These are a few early steps in a long journey, but we’re hopeful they are steady, solid ones and will form the foundation for constructive health outcomes for everyone.
Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi - With red and black the work will be complete.
*More information about the New Zealand Health Strategy
The New Zealand Health Strategy will provide a framework for achieving Pae Ora – healthy futures for all New Zealanders.
It will set out how New Zealand’s health system can improve people’s access to and experiences of health services so that everyone benefits – both individually, through better accessibility, quality, and efficiency of care, and collectively, as we all benefit from having a healthier population.
The strategy will help achieve a shift in thinking so that health is not just viewed as an outcome but also as an enabler of wellbeing. It will set the direction across the health system and inform decision-making and priority setting by the government and the health system.
The purpose of the strategy is to provide the roadmap for change – they won’t commit us to particular actions needed to get there. This will be the role of the New Zealand Health Plan and the next Government Policy Statement.
The New Zealand Health Strategy will:
- Assess the current state of health outcomes and system performance,
- Assess trends and risks in the next 5–10 years; and
- Set out opportunities and priorities for improvement.
** A list of all the engagement sessions and their locations and dates:
Contact Us
Our regional teams are here to help facilitate and encourage inclusiveness and diversity in Aotearoa and to offer support and advice to all of our ethnic communities.
You can reach out to us by email at info@ethniccommunities.govt.nz.
Take care of yourselves, your families, loved ones and wider communities.
Ngā mihi nui
Mervin Singham
Chief Executive
Ministry for Ethnic Communities
