24.
Pasifika communities experience similarly inequitable health outcomes. Life
expectancy is over four years less than for the total population21 and Pasifika peoples
also experience higher rates of infectious diseases than other New Zealanders.22
Furthermore, like Māori, Pasifika experience higher levels of unmet primary health
care need and associated negative health outcomes. This is particularly the case for
Pasifika families with children.23 Pasifika children are more likely to face an unmet
primary healthcare need than other non-Pacific children.24
25.
As noted in the Government report, in 2015 the age of entitlement to free primary
health care was raised from 6 to 13 leading to a corresponding rise in attendances by
children.25 This responded to the recommendation of the Expert Advisory Group on
Solutions to Child Poverty that free primary health care is made available, over time,
to all children aged under 18.26 The Commission considers that expanding free
primary health care to all New Zealand children and young people is required to
meet, in part, SDG target 3.8.
Recommendation 4
a. Align and co-ordinate the implementation of current health sector strategies for the
specific purpose of meeting the health-related SDG Agenda 2030 goals and targets.
This should include:
i. Alignment of applicable legislative provisions with the SDG 2030 Agenda
goals and targets; and
ii. Promotion of effective, full and meaningful civic participation in the
design and implementation of health sector policies, in particular for
socio-economically disadvantaged or vulnerable population groups.
b. Develop a human rights compliant data infrastructure that generates high quality
disaggregated data, including data disaggregated by income, gender, race, ethnicity,
disability and migratory status.
c. Work in partnership with Māori and other affected communities to expand the
current set of child health targets to include targets aimed at:
i. Reducing overall hospitalisations for medical conditions with a social
gradient; and
ii. Reducing ethnic disparities in both hospitalisation and mortality rates,
particularly amongst Māori and Pacific children.
10