The Health Research Council of New Zealand has awarded $4.95 million in funding for research into cutting the rate of smoking among Māori and Pasifika people and pushing towards a Smokefree Aotearoa.
As New Zealand’s Smokefree 2025 deadline draws closer, the Health Research Council has awarded the funding for the Whakahā o Te Pā Harakeke programme.
The programme will be a partnership by Otago University, the Maori Public Health organisation Hāpai Te Hauora, Kōkiri Marae, Keriana Olsen Trust, and ESR.
The programme aims to develop and improve ways to close smoking disparities for Māori and Pasifika as well as push towards a Smokefree Aotearoa.
Lizzie Strickett (Ngāpuhi/ Te Aupōuri) will lead the Hāpai te Hauora research team in its field of expertise and says it's a significant opportunity to build Māori research capacity.
Most importantly, she hopes the findings from the programme will be meaningful for Māori communities, whose leadership needs to be recognised in the effort to becoming smokefree.
"Given that we’re losing 5,000 whānau members a year to tobacco related illness, I would say this research is more than important - it is essential," Ms Strickett said.
"We’re grappling with how we will return to having our homes and communities smokefree - like it once was for us, and we believe only whānau have these answers.
"We’ve been privileged enough to be welcomed into the homes and marae of whānau who have shared such innovative and thoughtful solutions on how to get there, and think this research will be one way in which we can translate their whakaaro into action."
Andrew Waa (Ngāti Hine), an investigator from Otago University, says collaborating with different sectors is incredibly important to ensure leaders at every level, from communities to government, have a chance to contribute.
"From a Māori perspective, we need to better understand what is causing smoking disparities to exist and what we can do from a policy perspective. We also need to engage and support from a community perspective too," Mr Waa said.
Hāpai General Manager for Tobacco Control, Mihi Blair (Ngāti Whātua), will take on an advisory role for the programme and believes the funding demonstrates a government commitment to improving Māori health.
"We have a government that share our aspiration for our tamariki to lead smokefree lives and communities. The Associate Health Minister, Jenny Salesa, recently committed to an action plan to be smokefree by 2025. We hope that these insights could help inform the direction we go in as a country to achieve that goal," Mr Blair said.
Research, Science and Innovation Minister, Megan Woods, gave her support this morning and said, "Investing in Māori and Pacific health creates resilient communities and is crucial to enabling advances in wellbeing for Māori and for New Zealand as a whole".
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