Reducing inequalities
Since the 1980s, there have been widening gaps in income and health status between
Maori and Pacific peoples and Pakeha New Zealanders.
Inequalities exist between those living in wealthier areas and those in deprived
neighbourhoods, children and adults, rural and urban communities. There are
disparities between the eastern and western Bay of Plenty .
Measures we take to reduce the gap include:
- Routinely considering inequality when making decisions
- Working with other government agencies to change factors which influence health
such as housing and heating
- Working alongside communities to plan, deliver and monitor their health services.
Read more about reducing inequalities in our
District Annual Plan page 65.
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Read More
Active Families
HEAT prioritisation tool
Maori health
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Recent achievements
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We need to team up with local government to reach world standards on community health
and safety.
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Tauranga Safe City project
has reached a milestone in applying for Accreditation from the World Health Organisation.
Read more
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Creating a safe and healthy city.
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Families with children whose lifestyle puts their health at risk need ongoing support
to change to healthier levels of activity.
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The Active Families programme
in the eastern
Bay encourages and supports whanau to maintain an active lifestyle. This provides
a positive option for paediatricians and other health professionals to help their
patients.
Read more
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Family lifestyle coaching to reduce health risks in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
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Pacific people die younger and have higher rates of chronic diseases than other
New Zealanders.
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Identifying the health needs of Pacific peoples
We are funding the Pacific Islands Community (Tauranga) Trust to research where
Pacific peoples turn to in the first instance for health care, any barriers they
face, and what arrangement of services will best serve them in the future.
A new Pacific Islands Advisory Group
for the Bay of Plenty provides advice to inform our plans.
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Identifying health needs of Pacific peoples in the Bay of Plenty.
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Studies suggest vaccination cuts hospitalisations during the influenza season by
half and deaths by two thirds among people aged 65 years and over.
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Influenza vaccination promotions
encourage our staff and the community to be vaccinated.
Raising vaccination levels of vulnerable groups.
Doctors now receive financial incentives to achieve target levels of vaccination
amongst eligible patients.
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Reducing the risk of infectious disease through free vaccination.
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It takes timing, coordination and a shared understanding to make the most of resources
across the regions. |
A New Public Health Alignment Group,
will help with
an agreed public health strategy shared by the Bay of Plenty and Lakes District
Health Board regions. |
Achieving more momentum for our strategies by aligning them to other districts'
plans. |
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Issues such as housing, employment, policing and education influence health.
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Shared projects with COBOP to build
safer healthier communities include:
- affordable housing; and
- safe communities.
Community Outcomes Bay of Plenty brings representatives of local,
regional and central government together to promote and achieve local community
outcomes.
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Working with other agencies to influence factors affecting health.
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