Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand Health Sector

nz, 2018). The treaty has influenced improvements in the providing of good healthcare to the people of New Zealand. This essay will investigate the Treaty of Waitangi’s effects on the New Zealand health sector and its social determinants in the lenses of the Maori people. The Treaty of Waitangi The treaty of Waitangi was written between the British crown and the Maori people of New Zealand in the year 1840. The treaty was a formal signed binding agreement between the two parties involved. Most importantly the agreement included the British Crown agreeing to be responsive to the needs of the Maori people and moreover guaranteeing that the Maori have equal opportunities in the healthcare setting in New Zealand. The Treaty of Waitangi was a policy that was made to protect the Maori people from the unsuitable impact of colonization in their land.

The Treaty of Waitangi makes sure that the Maori people have access to benefits of the new society being introduced by the British Crown; one of the major benefits was access to health services. The Treaty of Waitangi had three core areas; the Partnership, Protection, and Participation (Treaty2u. govt. It is important to examine the various social determinants of health and its impact on the Maori people in general. Moreover, it’s significant for one to analyze the government policies that can be put in place to address the issue of health inequality in the Maori people of New Zealand. Income is one key social determinant of health, and it contributes to the poor health status among the Maori people.

The indigenous Maori people have low health status in comparison to other social groups in New Zealand. As par New Zealand Social statistics of 2011, the average income of a Maori was $500 in comparison to $700 of the other social groups in New Zealand that were not Maori (Exeter et al, 2017). The government should identify low-income groups like the Maori so as to educate them on the health services that are designed for them. The health administration in New Zealand can come up with policies that encourage more Maori people training within the health sector. The above is because the Maoris’ are comfortable when their health issues are on the hands of their few Maoris’. The New Zealand government has come up with a policy of employing more Maori people in the nursing sector in the area dominated by the Maoris in New Zealand (Exeter et al, 2017).

The government has implemented policies related to improving the health status of the Maori people. The Naturopathic practice which the Maori people take part in falls in the category of complementary and health practice in the New Zealand health regulations and legislation. The Naturopathic practice and its health products can be defined as medicine, food, and dietary supplements which are supposed to be regulated well in health structures. Today there is an effective mechanism that tackles issues related to the standards and safety of naturopathic products and other alternative medicinal products. The Food Act of 2014 ensures that there is effective regulation of naturopathic products and other dietary supplements are fit for consumption before they enter the market (Industries, 2018). The regulation checks the ingredients used for the production of the naturopathic medicines and manufacturing processes involved, and then it certifies them fit for human consumption (Medsafe.

In so doing, Health Safety and Work Act support unions and employer establishments to take productive roles in fostering improvements in work health and safety practices (Medsafe. govt. nz, 2018). Complementary and naturopathic health products are currently regulated by the Health and Safety at Work Act and other regulations like the Food Act 2014 in New Zealand’s health sector. Moreover, other regulations also work to enforce laws with respect to products and practice of Naturopathy in New Zealand. Foods comprising animal ingredients and animal products must comply with the regulations of the Food Act 2014. Likewise, dietary complements are also subject to regulation set into view by the Biosecurity Act of 1993. This act was passed to safeguard New Zealand’s environment, animals and plants from harmful diseases and pests.