Health and wellbeing, including mental health, is more than the absence of illness; it is the opportunity to thrive within our communities and our environments.
Te Aka Whai Ora will work across the motu to support a whānau and community-led approach for improved wellbeing that is coordinated, coherent, and responds to our communities' strengths and aspirations.
Health loss in Aotearoa is mainly due (83.5 per cent) to non-infectious disease, with four types of illness accounting for half of this health loss, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental ill-health and musculoskeletal disorders. Many of these conditions are potentially preventable.
Strengthening the prevention of illness involves consideration of a broad range of factors that influence people’s health. Te Aka Whai Ora, alongside Te Whatu Ora, will work with hauora Māori partners and other agencies to influence improvements in:
We will strive to build healthy policy, create supportive environments, strengthen community action and reorientate health services – our central focus is pae ora – for our whānau, our communities, and our kaimahi healthcare workers.