Iwi-driven health village launches in Dunedin

The Healthier Lives National Science Challenge welcomes the launch last week of Te Kāika, an iwi-driven health village in Dunedin.

Te Kāika is situated in a former primary school in Caversham, which has been transformed to become a health village that will provide high quality and affordable health and wellbeing services for Māori, Pasifika and low-income families in the Dunedin area.

Te Kāika is a partnership between Arai Te Uru Whare Hauora, Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, and the University of Otago. It is run by Ōtākou Health Limited (OHL), a charity founded in 2015 aimed at bringing affordable health and wellbeing services to Dunedin.

Donna Matahaere-Atariki (pictured above with Ngai Tahu kaiwhakahaere Lisa Tumahai), one of the founders of Te Kāika, is also a member of the Healthier Lives Kāhui Māori.

She said that the centre was more than a hub and was there to respond to the complexities in people’s lives.

Dame Tariana Turia, former Whānau Ora minister and member of the Healthier Lives Governance Group, said the centre reflected the intention of Whānau Ora that “through collaboration, shared vision we would create a better world for all of our whanau to inhabit”.

Another former Healthier Lives Governance Group member, Professor Peter Crampton, has also championed Te Kāika and spoke at the launch, praising Donna Matahaere-Atariki, who along with fourth year medical student Albie Laurence, came up with the concept of the centre.

Healthier Lives Director Professor Jim Mann attended the launch and congratulated the founders and partners on an initiative that will make a real difference to people’s lives and contribute to improving health equity.

The initiative, which has been three years in the making, aims to inspire other areas to take up a hub-based model of health services.

Read more about Te Kāika:
Te Kāika website (www.tekaika.org)
Innovative health and well-being hub opens in Dunedin (otago.ac.nz)

Related news:
Long journey to realise village health concept ODT.co.nz,February 2018
Iwi-driven health village opens in Dunedin  Stuff.co.nz, February 2018
Te Kaika Health Centre opens ODT.co.nz, March 2018
Hundreds sign up to new low-cost health hub  ODT.co.nz, April 2018
Power to the people: finding a cure for healthcare inequity thespinoff.co.nz, April 2018
Te Kāika Ngai Tahu, July 2018
Iwi driven social services hub to gain award ODT.co.nz, August 2018
Volunteers create health centre ODT.co.nz, November 2018