BELINDA IHAKA

PRESENTING: SATURDAY 3RD JULY, 2021  

 PANEL DISCUSSION: TUESDAY 6TH JULY, 2021

PRESENTATION TITLE:
Indigenous Health Perspectives in Podiatry: Aotearoa / New Zealand 

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION: 
Podiatrists are considered the gatekeepers of diabetic foot management. Yet, the effectiveness of podiatrists in reducing amputation rates in Indigenous populations remains unclear. It is well documented that Indigenous people disproportionately carry the burden of disease, which constitutes a breach of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Māori are the Indigenous people of Aotearoa.  Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Māori text) was negotiated by Māori and British Crown to outline the terms of British settlement.  Te Tiriti affirmed Māori tino rangatiratanga (absolute sovereignty and authority) and granted the Crown limited governorship over their people. It also granted Māori the same rights as privileges as British subjects and recognised the importance of religious and cultural freedom.  The subsequent breaches of te Tiriti have had disastrous inter-generational effects on Māori health.

Podiatry services in Aotearoa have funding allocated to address the high rates of amputation in Māori.  However, since diabetes podiatry services have been introduced, Māori are at 65% greater risk of amputation compared to non-Māori, despite Māori ethnicity being a key priority for inclusion into the podiatry service. Māori adopt holistic models of health where there is no separation from the physical, social, emotional or spirituality of an individual or their whānau.  When these domains are in harmony, and Māori have full cultural autonomy; Māori health and wellbeing outcomes improve. Māori philosophy around health is therefore holistic with various models that capture this.  These models, particularly te whare tapa whā, have been integrated into health policy, and they often form the frameworks intrinsic to the structure and organisation of Māori health care organisations.  Despite these approaches, the measurement of Māori wellbeing often centres on Western worldviews.

This presentation provides the reader with some background relating to Indigenous / Māori health inequity in Aotearoa.  Whilst Māori continue to be represented in deficit-based statistics, Māori strive for autonomy which is the basic right of all individuals.

BIO:
Belinda Ihaka has been a lecturer in the School of Clinical Sciences at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), in New Zealand since 2004. Belinda has held various roles within the Department of Podiatry including clinical educator, lecturer and Programme Leader. Her current work is focussing on Indigenous Best Practice for Podiatrists working with Maori, which will be informed by evaluating her previous collaborative efforts in promoting national criteria for screening / assessment and management of people with diabetes.