Tend Launches First Te Wiki Hauora Wāhine/Women’s Health Week

Tend has launched its first Te Wiki Hauora Wāhine/Women’s Health Week to raise awareness, educate, encourage and empower Kiwi women to prioritise their health and wellbeing.

Tend Founder and Co-CEO Cecilia Robinson says all too often Kiwi women put other’s wellbeing ahead of their own, suffering in silence while supporting their loved ones.

According to a new survey of female-identifying patients to understand their relationship with their own health and wellbeing, more than half (57%) of women don’t get regular annual health checks.

“When we asked everyday Kiwi women about their health, it became evident women can feel the need to shy away from discussing their health – both with medical professionals and each other,” says Robinson.

In fact, 40% of survey respondents didn’t feel comfortable talking about their health with their friends.

Furthermore, more than one-third (38%) have never talked with their mother or female caregiver about their periods, and more than half (58%) have never talked about menopause.

“This week, we’re encouraging all of Aotearoa New Zealand’s wāhine to take the reins of their health, to check up on each other, and to have those brave conversations with one another and medical professionals,” says Robinson.

“We have days, weeks and months dedicated to raising awareness for men’s health and wellbeing which is an important step. But our wāhine are precious too. They deserve a week in the health spotlight and a reminder that their health matters too.

“Better health for our wāhine benefits everyone. When women have access to quality healthcare, they’re better able to achieve their goals, participate in the workforce, contribute to economic growth, and support their families' health and wellbeing. Women's health is whanau health.”

As part of the inaugural Te Wiki Hauora Wāhine, the Women’s Health Week website hosts stories, blogs, videos and podcasts covering a wide range of topics to act as an educational resource.

Kiwibank is proud to support Tend’s Women’s Health Week to encourage more women to be aware of the options for them to take an active role in their health journey.

Kiwibank Chief Executive Steve Jurkovich said, “Raising awareness and supporting women to engage in important conversations about their health and prioritise their wellbeing is essential.

“Not only does this lead to better health outcomes, but it also provides an opportunity to strengthen family and community dynamics. Fostering a supportive environment is better for everyone. We know that good health is a key factor in achieving other life goals, including financial stability and success.”

Go online here to complete the Kiwibank Health Personality quiz, a fun and easy way for women to start thinking about how they approach their health. It includes tips and the chance to win 1 of 10 $1,000 Prezzy cards thanks to Kiwibank.

Denise Cosgrove, The Selwyn Foundation Chief Executive, says it’s important for Aotearoa New Zealand to have open, frank discussions about women’s health - especially when it comes to vulnerable older women and their needs.

“As a society, we can sometimes lose sight of the most vulnerable in our communities. As our population ages, it’s paramount we continue to support the wellbeing of our older wāhine and enable them in getting preventative screening and other health checks wherever possible,” says Cosgrove.

Throughout Te Wiki Hauora Wāhine, there will be a range of activities and topics covered with support from many famous Kiwi women sharing their stories including Dame Valerie Adams, Stacey Morrison, Matilda Green, Suzanne Paul and Megan Alatini – to name just a few.

There will also be insights from prominent female clinicians and healthcare experts including Dr Eileen Sables, Dr Alex Lafaele, Dr Lee Mathias, Dr Olivia Smart, Dr Amelia Ryan, Dr Bev Lawton, Dr Jenny Kruger, Lily Henderson and Michelle Kasey.

Additional partners include My Food Bag Fresh Start, The Period Place, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, Talk Peach Gynaecological Awareness, EttieKits, femfit® by JUNOFEM, MenoMe and Embodyme.

Notes:

The ‘Tend Women’s Health Survey’ was conducted in June 2024, resulting in responses from 4,200 female-identifying Tend patients.

About Tend

Born out of a vision to help Kiwis be the healthiest people in the world, Tend was launched in October 2020 by a team of health professionals, technologists and entrepreneurs joining forces to put patients at the centre of healthcare delivery in Aotearoa.

Tend is a full-service primary healthcare provider, offering GP services online via its app and medical centres across Auckland. Designed around its customers and their whānau, Tend is a new kind of healthcare experience, for today’s kind of living.

The smarter, faster technology allows Tend’s primary healthcare team to enhance the quality of care and provide a seamless patient experience. Customers take control of their healthcare and stay connected to their healthcare journey.

Flexible hours and working locations; more collaboration and more effective administration, eases the burden on clinicians allowing more time to tend to patients and provide care.

For more information, visit www.tend.nz or download the app at www.tend.nz/get

© Scoop Media