Te Rautaki Māori – RACS Māori Health Strategy and Action Plan

Te Whare Piki Ora o Māhutonga aims to achieve a culturally safe and competent surgical workforce and advocate for Māori health equity.

Building a culturally safe and competent surgical workforce, and making progress towards achieving the vision of Māori health equity: these are two main goals of Te Rautaki Māori RACS Māori Health Strategy and Action Plan 2020-2023. Te Rautaki Māori has been approved by Council and is now at the implementation phase.

Read Te Rautaki Māori RACS Māori Health Strategy and Action Plan 2020-2023 (PDF 5.7MB)

Te Rautaki Māori provides an opportunity to build upon some of the work implemented through the previous Māori Health Action Plan 2016-18 (PDF 228.49KB).  It sets the future direction toward achieving the vision of Māori health equity and a culturally safe and competent surgical workforce.  RACS understands this journey will be a long one and is committed to supporting the elimination of Māori health inequity.

We will engage with Māori communities, build partnerships with Māori organisations and embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) perspectives into policy and education. Te Tiriti is articulated in Te Rautaki Māori through the adoption of the principles, tino rangatiratanga (Māori sovereignty), partnership, active protection, options and equity.

We have a long journey ahead of us to achieve equitable health outcomes for Māori. In order to make significant change RACS will need to acknowledge and address the legacy of colonisation processes and the resultant racism and privilege at curricular and institutional levels. Te Rautaki Māori gives us the mechanisms to do this.

It is not acceptable that Māori suffer far worse health outcomes than non-Māori.  There are many factors that have led to the current state of Māori health.  In Educating for Indigenous Health Equity: An International Consensus Statement (2019) the authors state:

“Colonization, racism and privilege are fundamental determinants of Indigenous health that are also deeply embedded in Western medical education.  To contribute effectively to Indigenous health development, medical education institutions must engage in decolonisation processes and address racism and privilege at curricular and institutional levels.  Indigenous health curricula must be formalised and comprehensive and must be consistently reinforced in all educational environments.” ^[1]

This statement provides a description of the issues to be addressed within medical education in order to contribute to Māori health development. RACS supports this statement and understands  that achieving health equity is everyone’s responsibility, therefore building capabilities of Fellows, trainees and staff as well as building partnerships are key components of Te Rautaki Māori.  RACS will also seek and utilise existing Māori resources that support progression of Te Rautaki Māori. 

“Tawhiti rawa tou haerenga ake te kore haere tonu
Nui rawa ou mahi te kore mahi nui tonu”
We have come too far not to go further
And we have done too much not to do more

• Ta Hemi Henare No Ngā Puhi, Te Taitokerau

[1] Jones R, Crowshoe L, Reid P, Calam C, Curtis E, Green M, Huria T, Jacklin K, Kamaka M, Lacey C, Milroy J, Paul D, Pitama S, Walker L, Webb G, Ewen S. Educating for Indigenous Health Equity: An International Consensus Statement. Acad Med. 2019 Apr; 94(04): 512-519. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002476. Accessed 18 October 2019