Minister’s U-turn of wahakura welcomed

Minister’s U-turn of wahakura welcomed by Maori safe-sleep organisation

Whakawhetu, New Zealand’s national SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) prevention programme welcomes the Minister of Health Jonathon Coleman’s decision to fund safe sleep programmes.

“We are delighted with this new policy development, which was precipitated by the New Zealand Herald’s investigation into the funding of safe-sleep programmes,” Whakawhetu’s National Manager Kathrine Clarke said today.

“Moving forward, we are keen to see Maori remain the focus and recipients of wahakura. More than half of New Zealand’s SUDI deaths every year are Maori, so we believe a specific strategy for Maori is required. High-risk whanau are easily identified because we know the cluster of risk-factors that contribute to SUDI.

“Whanau Maori prefer the flax wahakura to the plastic pepi. We believe more resourcing is needed to increase the supply of wahakura, which are labour intensive and expensive to make.

“The cultural significance of flax and weaving means that the wahakura becomes a treasured cultural object for Maori families. We can also use the wahakura as a tool for engaging these families in conversations about the sacredness of children, and the importance of Maori parenting values.”

Ends

© Scoop Media