The Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan

www.moh.govt.nz/publications/pacificactionplan

published 2002

The Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan (the Action Plan) sets out the strategic direction and actions for improving health outcomes for Pacific peoples and reducing inequalities between Pacific and non-Pacific peoples. It is directed at the health and disability service sectors and Pacific communities, and aims to provide and promote affordable, effective and responsive health and disability services for all New Zealanders.

This Action Plan is the culmination of extensive consultations and community forums with Pacific providers, health professionals and communities. It builds on policy developments from two Ministry of Health publications Making a Pacific Difference in Health Policy (1998) and Making a Pacific Difference: Strategic Initiatives for the Health of Pacific Peoples (1997). The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs’ programme of action reports has been incorporated in the Action Plan.

The vision, principles and priorities of the Action Plan will form the basis of future Pacific health and disability support policy and services.

The Action Plan highlights six priority areas where improvements can be made to health and disability support services for Pacific peoples. For each of the priority areas, a number of action items have been identified.

Of the 21 District Health Boards (DHBs), seven have relatively high numbers of Pacific peoples in comparison to other regions in the country. These boards will have particular responsibility to plan and fund Pacific health services. They are Capital and Coast, Hutt, Canterbury, Waikato, Counties Manukau, Auckland and Waitemata. However, it is also important that all other DHBs undertake the responsibility to engage with providers in their region to proactively support the needs of Pacific peoples.

The Action Plan is a working document. It provides a foundation for the priorities now and sets the direction for the future.

Vision

Healthy Pacific peoples achieving their full potential throughout their lives.

Values

Service, respect and duty of care.

Principles

• Dignity and the sacredness of life are integral in the delivery of health and disability services

• Active participation of Pacific peoples in all levels of health and disability services is encouraged and supported

• Successful Pacific services recognise the integral roles of Pacific leadership and Pacific communities

• Pacific peoples are entitled to excellent health and disability services that are co-ordinated, culturally competent and clinically sound.

Priorities

• Child and youth health

• Promoting healthy lifestyles and wellbeing

• Primary health care and preventive services

• Provider and workforce development

• Promoting participation of disabled Pacific peoples

• Health and disability information and research.

The above priorities are not ranked in order of preference. All six are contingent on the successful implementation of this Action Plan, and are intended as a total approach to improving Pacific peoples’ health and participation.

---

Document availability

This publication is available in hard copy. You can order a copy by emailing moh@wickliffe.co.nz or calling 04 496 2277 citing HP number 3496. Please let us know your name, your physical address.

It is also available on this website in PDF format below or it may be read online.

(PDF, 496 kB)

This publication has been converted to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). Here is a link to information on downloading and viewing PDFs.

---

Related information

Disability homepage

Related Ministry of Health Documents

New Zealand Health Strategy

Implementing the New Zealand Health Strategy 2002

New Zealand Disability Strategy

He Korowai Oranga – Maori Health Strategy Whakatataka: Maori Health Action Plan 2002–2005 Health of Older People Strategy National Alcohol Strategy 2000-2003 Pacific Health

The Primary Health Care Strategy

The New Zealand Palliative Care Strategy

Youth Health: A Guide to Action