Monday 23 August 2010 3:54pm
A new report on Māori cancer trends by researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington shows progress in some areas, but that there is considerably more to be done to improve Māori health prospects.
Funded by Te Kete Hauora ( Māori Health Directorate, Ministry of Health), and prepared by Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare, this publication is the first to report Māori and non-Māori cancer patterns by rural–urban residence and area socioeconomic deprivation together.
The researchers also studied cancer trends for Māori and non-Māori over the period 1996-2006.
“It is heartening to see significant improvement in Māori cervical cancer outcomes” says co-author Bridget Robson, Director of the Eru Pōmare Māori Health Research Centre.
Māori cervical cancer mortality rates reduced by 11% per year over the eleven-year period while non-Māori rates fell by 5% per year, however Māori rates remain significantly higher.
“A strong focus on boosting the number of Māori women having regular smear tests and receiving the HPV vaccination should help to finally close the gap in Māori and non-Māori cervical cancer rates”.
“The drop in deaths from lung cancer among Māori men of 5% per year on average is also encouraging,” says Robson. “However the report shows that Māori are still dying from lung cancer at three times the rate of non-Māori and this disease accounts for nearly half the excess cancer deaths among Māori.”
“It’s vitally important to reduce the sales of tobacco and provide an environment that supports young Māori to be smokefree.”
The report also analysed cancer patterns for Māori and non-Māori living in urban or rural areas. They found rural residents were less likely to get cancer than people living in the larger cities or smaller urban areas. However, once diagnosed with some cancers, such as colorectal or prostate cancer, rural people have less favourable survival chances than those in main urban areas.
“We need to further investigate cancer diagnosis and treatment for rural communities, especially Māori, to make sure people get good access to early detection and prompt, appropriate treatment,” says co-author Donna Cormack.
Māori living in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods had the highest risk of cancer.
“The unequal impact of the economic recession on Māori jobs may seriously affect cancer outcomes and chances of getting an early diagnosis,” says Bridget Robson, “so this is the worst possible time to reduce funding that supports people with low incomes to access primary health care.”
“We know that people working on cancer control are doing a great job,” says Robson “and we hope this report will be used to ensure that resources and efforts are targeted to those who need them most”.
The report titled “Unequal Impact II: Māori and non-Māori Cancer Statistics by Deprivation and Rural–Urban Status 2002-2006” is the second in the “Unequal Impact” series and can be found on the Ministry of Health website.
For further information contact
Bridget Robson
Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare (Eru Pōmare Māori Health Research Centre)
University of Otago, Wellington
Tel 64 4 385 5924
Email bridget.robson@otago.ac.nz
Dr Diana Sarfati
Department of Public Health
University of Otago, Wellington
Tel 64 4 918 6042
Email diana.sarfati@otago.ac.nz
Donna Cormack
Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare (Eru Pōmare Māori Health Research Centre)
University of Otago, Wellington
Email donna.cormack@otago.ac.nz
Website: www.otago.ac.nz/wellington
Kua pai ake ngā otinga mate pukupuku mō ngāi Māori, engari he nui tonu ngā mahi
Kei te whakaatu tētahi pūrongo hou mō ngā ia o te mate pukupuku nā ngā kairangahau nō Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo i ngā whakapainga ake i ētahi wāhi, engari he nui tonu ngā mahi kia mahia hei whakapai ake i ngā tukunga iho mō te hauora Māori. Ko tēnei pukapuka nā Te Kete Hauora i utu, nā Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare i whakarite, te mea tuatahi e whakaatu nei i ngā tauira mate pukupuku, Māori mai, tauiwi mai, mā te nohonga taiwhenua–tāone me te ngaromanga ā-rohe o ngā rawa ohaoha pāpori.
I rangahau hoki ngā kairangahau i ngā ia o te mate pukupuku mō te Māori me tauiwi puta noa i te houanga 1996-2006.
"He mea whakamanawa te kite i tēnei whakapainga hira i ngā otinga mō te pukupuku o te waha o te whare tangata" te kī a tētahi o ngā kaituhi, a Bridget Robson, te Kaiwhakahaere o Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare.
Kua heke iho te maha o ngā matenga o ngāi Māori nā te mate pukupuku o te waha o te whare tangata mā te 11% i ia tau puta noa i te houanga tau tekau mā tahi, me te heke iho mā te 5% i ia tau o te maha mō tauiwi, heoi anō e tino teitei tonu ana te pāpātanga mō ngā Māori.
"Mā te kaha aro ki te whakapiki i te tokomaha o ngā wāhine Māori e whiwhi ana i ngā tātaritanga auau o te whare tangata, e werohia ana hoki ki te rongoā āraimate HPV, e āwhina pea ki te whakakopi i te āputa i waenga i ngā pāpātanga mate pukupuku o te waha o te whare tangata o ngāi Māori me tauiwi".
"He mea whakamanawa anō hoki te hekenga iho o te maha o ngā matenga o ngā tāne Māori nā te mate pukupuku pūkahukahu te take mā te 5% i ia tau," ko tā Robson. Heoi anō, e whakaatu ana te pūrongo e toru whakareanga ake te pāpātanga o ngā matenga o te Māori i tō tauiwi nā te mate pukupuku pūkahukahu, ā, ko tēnei tahumaero te pūtake o tōna haurua o ngā matenga tuwhene i waenga i a ngāi Māori nā te mate pukupuku.
"Me tino whakaheke te hokohoko o te tūpeka ka tika, me te whakarato i te taiao ka whakatītina i te rangatahi Māori kia noho auahi-kore."
I tātari hoki te pūrongo i ngā tauira mate pukupuku mō ngāi Māori me tauiwi e noho ana i ngā tāone, i te taiwhenua rānei. Ko tā ngā kairangahau i kite ai, he iti iho te tūponotanga ka pāngia ngā kainoho i te taiwhenua ki te mate pukupuku i tō ngā tāngata e noho ana i ngā tāone nui, i ngā tāone iti iho rānei. Heoi anō, mutu mai te tautuhi kua pāngia te tangata ki ētahi momo mate pukupuku pēnei i te mate pukupuku kōpiro nui-tōngātiko, mate pukupuku repe ure rānei, he iti iho te tūponotanga ka ora te tangata noho taiwhenua i tō te tangata noho tāone.
"Me āta whakatewhatewha anō mātou i te tautuhinga mate pukupuku me te whakamaimoa mō ngā hapori taiwhenua, ina koa ngā hapori Māori, kia whakarite ai kia whiwhi rātou i te tautuhinga wawe me te whakamaimoatanga wawe, tōtika hoki" te kī a Donna Cormack, tētahi o ngā kaituhi.
Kei ērā Māori e noho ana i ngā hapori e nui rawa ai te ngaromanga o ngā rawa ohaoha pāpori te mōrea nui rawa ka pāngia ki te mate pukupuku.
"Tēnā pea ka tino awea ngā putanga mate pukupuku me te tūpono whiwhi tautuhinga wawe e te papātanga kore ōrite o te whakahekenga ohaoha ki ngā mahi mā te Māori" e kī ana a Bridget Robson, "nā reira ko tēnei te wā tino kino rawa mō te whakaheke i te pūtea e tautoko ana i ngā tāngata he iti ō rātou whiwhinga moni kia āhei atu ki te tiaki hauora tōmua."
Kei te mōhio mātou he tino pai ngā mahi a ērā e mahi ana ki te whakaheke i te pā o te mate pukupuku, "ka kī a Bridget Robson "me te tūmanako ka whakamahia tēnei pūrongo ki te whakarite kia whakawhāitihia ngā rawa me ngā mahi ki ērā he tino nui rawa te hiahia".
Ko tēnei pūrongo te “Unequal Impact II: Māori and non-Māori Cancer Statistics by Deprivation and Rural–Urban Status 2002-2006” te mea tuarua o te rārangi “Unequal Impact”, ā, ka kitea tēnei i te paetukutuku a Te Manatū Hauora www.health.govt.nz.
Mō ētahi atu pārongo whakapā ki a
Bridget Robson
Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare
Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo, Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Waea 64 4 385 5924
Email bridget.robson@otago.ac.nz
Donna Cormack
Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare
Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo, Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Email donna.cormack@otago.ac.nz
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