New Zealand Ends Separate Health Authority for Māori

In June 2022, the small nation of New Zealand had 20 District Health Boards—elected bodies that decided what happened in a defined geographic area. One served a population of 32,550 people, while another looked after 628,770. Arbitrary lines on a map had led to a top-heavy, inefficient, and mostly ineffective system. And so on July 1, they disappeared, to be replaced by two new national bodies created after months of planning and consultation. Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) was responsible for delivering services to almost everyone, but alongside it sat Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), charged with providing culturally appropriate care to Māori people and, it was hoped, closing the gap between health outcomes for Māori and others....