Improving Health Outcomes For Māori

“Kanohi ki te kanohi - Kanohi ki te ao hangarau | Face to face and Face to technology.”

“The New Zealand health sector is catching the digital wave. And Māori health organizations are leading the way”, says Māori-owned technology company Kiwa Digital.

This week the company has welcomed the launch of two new collaborations designed to improve health outcomes for Maori.

ProCare, New Zealand’s largest network of primary healthcare professionals, announced today the launch of its new cultural competency app called ‘ihi’, developed as part of its equity journey and as a way of helping staff, its network and wider stakeholders to increase their engagement in Te Ao Māori.

Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare says: “ProCare is delighted to present ihi for our staff, our network and partners which is more than 2,500 people and their whānau…. Ultimately, we hope using the app will contribute to positive engagement with health practitioners so to improve health outcomes for Māori”.

Earlier this week, Turuki Health Care shared its unique Orokoroa – Māori Meditation app Āio to 1,900 viewers on a Facebook launch. This ancient well-being app is guided by Ngarino Te Waati to promote a wide range of Māori health and wellness. Orokoroa is a proven state of well-being to heal and empower. The app features quality videos of basic Māori meditation and a monthly subscription to unlock more videos. A first of kind, the development reflects growing interest in accessible health resources for whānau that are framed from a te Ao Māori perspective.

Meanwhile, Mama Aroha, an app that provides health professionals, mothers and whānau with information and principles to better understand breastfeeding, is breaking all records. Available only in Aotearoa, 2,300 users have downloaded the interactive resource to date, well exceeding expectations. The app is now being enhanced and its reach will soon be extended into Australia.

And Kiwa Digital has other projects underway nā to kano. Tuku Iho will share intergenerational knowledge in maternal and child wellbeing as a resource for whānau hapū, māma hāpu and māma hou. The project is funded by the Ministry of Health, led by Hāpai Te Hauora, and developed in partnership with Māorilands and most importantly whānau themselves.

Steven Renata says Maori health organisations are leading the world with their digital responses.

“Leaders globally are struggling to deliver effective cultural strategies. Māori health providers demonstrate that with the help of technology they can offer culturally relevant resources that share mātauranga Māori at scale.”

About Kiwa Digital

Kiwa Digital is the world’s best cultural creative agency, using technology to enable the world’s voices to be heard authentically. For more, www.kiwadigital.com

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