Why ethnicity matters in public policy and the Covid-19 response

Wednesday, 8 September 2021

Members of The Assembly of God Church of Samoa NZ in Māngere arrive at the MIT vaccination centre in Ōtara to be jabbed.

OPINION: The Covid-19 vaccines have not reached those who need them most.

Here are the facts: Just 42 per cent of Māori have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, compared to about 64 per cent of Pākehā.

When you look at who is fully vaccinated, 19 per cent of Māori are, 26 per cent of Pacific peoples, and it’s about 30 per cent for Asian, Pākehā and “other”.

There’s an issue with the vaccination roll-out. It was meant to prioritise those most in need, but it obviously has not.

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This matters a lot, because Māori and Pasifika are more likely to be hospitalised if they catch Covid-19.

Members of The Assembly of God Church of Samoa NZ in Māngere arrive to be vaccinated at the MIT vaccination centre in Ōtara.

An article in the New Zealand Medical Journal estimated Māori with Covid-19 were 2.5 times more likely to need hospitalisation. Its finding was based on cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand up to September last year.

The reasons Māori and Pasifika are more vulnerable to Covid-19’s worst effects are complicated.

290821 News Photo: RICKY WILSON/STUFFTrusts stadium has had their drive in vaccination centre moved indoors following flooding in Auckland overnight COVID-19, vax, John Tamihere

The journal article addressed a few. It says “systemic racism” in the health system has led to ill health for many Māori and Pacific communities. There are also economic issues. We know money can buy good health.

There are other factors at play too. Some groups, such as young people, are very good at spreading viruses. They’re more social, they travel more, do more things and interact with a more diverse group of people.

We have seen Covid-19 spread quickly through whānau and church events, impacting Māori and Pasifika communities during this outbreak and previous ones. This makes it easier for the virus to pass from the young to the old quickly in Māori and Pasifika communities.

In the 14 weeks Auckland has been in lockdown, vaccination rates across the region have more than doubled, and the number of fully vaccinated Māori has increased fourfold.

The effects of a lower vaccination rate, and a health system which seems to struggle at providing care which properly caters to the specific needs of different communities can be disastrous.

Last week, a kuia from Te Whānau o Waipareira died from Covid-19. She was in her 90s and had caught the virus from whānau, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said.

Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust has been running Covid-19 testing and vaccinations, co-ordinating a mammoth effort in West Auckland which has inoculated essential workers, the elderly and anyone who’s shown up for a jab. They’ve pulled in all their staff to help, with admin and office workers directing traffic, running vaccine supplies to the nurses, and helping keep their mass vaccination running smoothly.

It’s a great example of how better resourcing of Māori social services can benefit the whole country.

But for some reason, ACT leader David Seymour appeared to try to derail the good work of Te Whānau o Waipareira on Monday.

Nurses and volunteers in PPE at the Ōtara Covid-19 testing centre in Auckland

He tweeted an access code intended for Māori, so they could book online to get vaccinated at this specific drive-in clinic.

The clinic has been seeing everyone, and earlier last week it was focusing on essential workers. Given it’s run by Māori, it is best equipped to vaccinate whānau Māori.

Seymour thought he knew better than those on the ground, and encouraged non-Māori to use the code to make some sort of political point.

By doing so, he put the staff – most of whom are Māori – at risk. He made their jobs harder. He risked the health of Māori, who feel most comfortable receiving their healthcare from this kaupapa Māori service, making it harder for them to receive the vaccine.

His action, in my opinion, was shameful and dangerous.

John Tamihere, chef executive of the trust, said: “Seymour demonstrates his entitlement, his privilege and his disdain for vulnerable New Zealand communities.”

Glenn McConnell is a columnist and reporter for Stuff.

It's difficult talking about race and ethnicity.

Seymour viewed the specialist Māori health provider’s actions as divisive and discriminatory.

But actually, if he listened to the research and looked at the briefings from the Ministry of Health, he would see that while the virus spreads to anyone – this outbreak it has had a worse impact for Pacific people. And the outcomes for Māori and Pasifika with the virus are more likely to be worse.

We can’t take a colour-blind approach to health or public policy.

Bloomfield and journalists have been criticised for reporting which ethnicities this Covid-19 outbreak has affected worst.

There are well-founded fears that bigots will misuse this information.

At the same time, however, we shouldn’t shy away from facts. The more we know about who is impacted, how it affects different people and the different needs and tikanga of different communities, the better our policies and Covid response can be.

Seymour misused that information this week, in an attempt to make a philosophical point.

Sadly, racists have targeted some in the Pasifika community.

Viruses don’t spread based on race.

However, better understanding community – and ethnicity is a big part of that – helps to make better public policy.

We have seen a good response through groups such as Te Whānau o Waipareira, and collaboration between Pasifika churches and the South Seas Vaccination Centre in Ōtara.

They’re doing their part for their community, and the country.

Glenn McConnell (Te Ātiawa) is a journalist and student of Māori studies. He writes a fortnightly column for Stuff.