COVID-19 Māori Health Protection Plan

The COVID-19 Māori Health Protection Plan (the Protection Plan) builds on the progress made by the Initial COVID-19 Māori Response Action Plan and the Updated COVID-19 Māori Health Response Plan.

This Protection Plan provides an updated framework that is informed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi to protect whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori Māori from the impacts of COVID-19 by preventing and mitigating those impacts.

Insights and feedback from a broad range of stakeholders since the start of the COVID-19 response in March 2020 have contributed to this Protection Plan. We have adjusted our strategic approach and actions to respond to the experience of our stakeholders, so that we can stay in step with Aotearoa New Zealand’s evolving approach to COVID-19 and the changes that are occurring through the reform of the health and disability system.

The Protection Plan helps guide health and disability system actions for Māori through the next 3 to 12 months of the COVID-19 response, by focusing on two key outcomes:

• protecting whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori Māori from the virus by increasing vaccination coverage
• building the resilience of Māori health and disability service providers and Māori whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori Māori to respond to the new environment of the delta variant, the incoming COVID-19 Protection Framework and the long tail of the impact of COVID-19 on the health and wellbeing of Māori.

The Protection Plan is aligned with and contributes to the broader health and disability COVID-19 response. It also aligns with the all-of-government response to COVID-19 in mitigating the social impact of COVID-19 on whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori Māori.

This Protection Plan together with Māori health activity focused on COVID-19 gives practical effect to the actions specifically related to COVID-19 in Whakamaua: Māori Health Action Plan 2020–2025.