Cancer Society s chief medical officer Chris Jackson says more help is still needed. Māori are approximately 20 per cent more likely to develop cancer than non-Māori and twice as likely to die from cancer This disparity is seen in all the “common” cancers, and is particularly prevalent with breast, liver, lung, pancreatic and stomach cancers. Little conceded that, in general, the cancer care available in New Zealand lagged behind what was available in Australia. “We are behind Australia, we know that, the report says that,” Little said. Health advocates said the report showed the need for continued Government support for cancer care, particularly since addressing cancer was put on hold while the health system focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bombshell $300m Māori health proposal shocks Northland healthcare
2 Feb, 2021 04:05 PM
7 minutes to read
Northland GP Dr Melissa Gilbert-Smith was one of many GPs left in the dark about a new healthcare proposal, which may see doctors leave their primary health organisation. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A $300m Māori health entity proposal has rocked Northland s healthcare community, forcing some general practice doctors to consider abandoning the region s primary health organisation. The Oranga Māori Entity, formed by an alliance of Tai Tokerau Māori health providers and whānau wellbeing organisation Whānau Ora Collective, has also been condemned by the Northland District Health Board (NDHB), which says while the intention behind the proposal is sound, there are severe concerns over its execution.
Health Minister Andrew Little.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
The agency, set up in 2019, has found cancer survival rates for all ethnicities have improved over the last 20 years but not as quickly as in other high-income countries.
Around 25,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in New Zealand, of whom nearly 3000 are Māori.
Māori are 20 percent more likely to develop cancer, and twice as likely as non-Māori to die from it.
Cancer Society chief medical officer Chris Jackson has said government funding of primary care, treatment and screening programmes has been allowed to drift over the last 15 years.
STUFF
New Zealand has a good system but it s fragmented and under considerable stress the Health and Disability System report, or Heather Simpson report, found. (First published in June 2020)
A $5 million government unit set up to investigate halving the number of district health boards comes as some boards are appointing younger people as “observers” to learn about DHB governance. The unit, with 25 staff, is a waste of money according to National deputy leader and health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti, who wants the government to ditch the “health sector experiment” and focus the funding toward Covid-19 vaccinations or vulnerable patients such as those with rare disorders.
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