The fight for Maori immunisation data

Our Chief Product and Consulting Officer, Daymon Nin featured in the latest April edition, Digital Health Connect. Sharing his journey and fight for better access to immunisation data alongside Whānau Ora during Covid to enable better health outcomes for Māori and protecting the wider population from outbreaks of communicable disease.

To support their Covid-19 vaccination work, Whānau Ora asked Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health to share information about unvaccinated Māori in te Ika-a-Māui-including contact details and vaccination status - saying the information was critical to boosting immunisatrion rates and saving lives.

Their request was twice denied on the basis of privacy, but the commissioning agency took the Ministry to court arguing, amongst other things, that this Ministry’s decision was inconsistent with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

A High Court judgement agreed the Ministry ‘‘did not have adequate regards to Te Tiriti and its principles, as informed by tikanaga’’ when it denied the request and after a second appeal, the request and after a second appear, the data was released.

‘‘Covid created the environment where people realised that whānau looking after whānau is the best method, and as a result we are much more proactive about how we want to support the wellbeing of our people and we know we are capable of doing it.’’ - Daymon Nin, said.

Continue to read the article in full on the April edition DHC #9 FREE (hinz.nz) from pages 18-21.