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Friday 9 June 2017 2:44pm

Some of the MIHI team at Te Matatini Hauora Village Free Heart Health eventTe Matatini was an amazing opportunity to celebrate Māori culture, health and wellbeing.

“Kapa haka plays an important role in defining who we are as Māori. Te Matatini was the perfect opportunity for people to see Māori performing arts at the highest level. The atmosphere over the four days made you incredibly proud to be a New Zealander,” says Gail. Gail organised and managed the Hauora (Health) Village at Te Matatini.

People who visited the Hauora Village were able to have a heart health check by qualified Māori practitioners from University of Otago, Christchurch.

Over 400 of those who visited the Hauora Village had a free heart health check, carried out by students and staff from the Māori/Indigenous Health Institute (MIHI) at the University of Otago, Christchurch.

Director of MIHI Associate Professor Suzanne Pitama says the response to the heart checks was overwhelming, with people lining up for clinics all day. “We were amazed so many people took time out of the event to get their heart health checked. It was great being able to talk to so many whānau about healthy lifestyles, exercise and nutrition.

We advised some people to return to their GP for further follow up and worked alongside some of the other hauora organisations at the Village to facilitate other support for them. We were only required to arrange one admission to hospital,” says Suzanne.

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