Georgina te Heuheu

The Government is determined to improve the health of Pacific people and increase their participation in the health sector, Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu said today.

The Minister was speaking at the launch of the Government's five year health plan for Pacific people - 'Ala Mo'ui: Pathways to Pacific Health and Wellbeing 2010 -2014.

'Ala Mo'ui means 'pathways to the essence of life force' and encompasses physical, mental, cultural and spiritual wellbeing.

"In 16 years' time, Pacific people will make up almost 10 per cent of our population and a significant proportion of our workforce," Mrs te Heuheu said.

"It's in our social and economic interests to ensure the best health outcomes for Pacific communities and part of that includes getting more Pacific people involved in the healthcare sector."

Mrs te Heuheu said $4 million dollars had been allocated through the Pacific Provider Workforce and Development Fund to increase the Pacific health and disability workforce.

"Our country needs more people in medicine, nursing, oral health and allied health and some of those people should come from Pacific communities," she said.

According to 'Ala Mo'ui, the Government will achieve its health objectives in the next five years by providing better services closer to home, supporting effective Pacific providers and models of care, and helping Pacific people and communities to be healthy.

The Ministry of Health and DHBs will focus on Pacific people as they worked towards the Government's Health Targets for immunisation, smoking cessation, diabetes and heart disease.

'Ala Mo'ui replaces the Pacific Health and Disability Action Plan 2002 and is available at www.moh.govt.nz/pacific.