The Government has announced a two-year $50m package to help Māori health providers boost immunisation rates and a new app for personal health records.
The Aotearoa Immunisation Register was also confirmed to have been expanded so health providers and vaccinators can view immunisation history, allowing them to identify gaps and offer vaccinations.
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti was joined by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Whānau Ora Tama Potaka at a Porirua Māori health provider for the announcement in Porirua today.
Of the $50m, $30m will go to Whānau Ora providers to work with those most at risk - Māori and non-Māori pēpi, hāpu māma, and kaumātua.
The remaining $20m will be split between North and South Island partners.
Immunisation is "one of the best ways" to set up tamariki for a healthy future, said Reti.
“That’s why this programme is important and why as a government we’re determined immunisation rates will improve for all children, including low-coverage Māori babies and children.”
Reti said that the new funding would play a vital role in helping Māori health providers better reach out into their communities.
“Whānau Ora services the under privileged and hard to reach communities where vaccination will be offered to everyone who is eligible, and Māori and non-Māori who are ready to be vaccinated.”
He said that immunisation targets would be set in the new year and that they would include yearly parameters.
“We’re figuring out how we can close that in a way that’s achievable for Maori health providers.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was incredibly proud of the program and that it was “exactly” the Government’s philosophy.
“We think Government working in partnership with community organisations can improve and get to better outcomes than government doing it all on its own, building massive bureaucracy.”
Luxon also pushed back on criticism about the smokefree law repeal, saying that it “isn’t quite fair.”
“All we’re doing is sticking to the status quo legislation before August this year, the same legislation that actually delivered another two points of lower smoking rates just last week.”
The two new digital products will enable health professionals to better manage immunisations by identifying who is most in need, said Te Whatu Ora national public health service director Dr Nick Chamberlain.
"People can now view their immunisation records and their child’s records dating back to 2005 when immunisations were first recorded centrally. Over time the information in My Health Record will expand to further health information, such as lab test results."
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