Pasifika feature prominently in hospitalisation rates and across a swathe of disease prevalence levels and mortality measures in New Zealand. Photo: 123rf/ Georgiy Datsenko
A new research report presents a damning picture of Pasifika and Māori heart health in Aotearoa.
The latest Cardio Impact Report commissioned by Kia Manawanui Trust, a charity promoting heart health, said that Māori and Pasifika die from heart disease on average ten years younger than Pākeha.
The report, pepared by Otago University is titled, 'Heart disease in Aotearoa: morbidity, mortality and service delivery. It also found that half of all heart attack patients are not being treated within accepted timeframes in the country.
Pasifika feature prominently in hospitalisation rates and across a swathe of disease prevalence levels and mortality measures in New Zealand.
University of Auckland professor Sir Collin Tukuitonga said the problem will only get worse amid a shortage of targeted resources.
"There are disproportionately high rates of heart problems for Māori and Pacific and a lack of timely care after a heart attack. These inequities need to be tackled fast."
Pasifika now have the highest rates of hospitalisation for heart issues in New Zealand, as serious heart conditions rise fast.
Since 2000, hospitalisation rates for Pasifika have increased slightly, while all other ethnic groups have declined. For every 100,000 Pasfika in 2022, nearly 1000 were hospitalised.
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According to the report, prevalence of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), or blockages to coronary arteries, soared among Pasifika between 2022 and 2024.
"Both Māori and Pacific Peoples had significantly higher IHD prevalence compared to non-Māori and non-Pacific."
Likewise, rates of heart failure have been on a fast rise for Pasifika since 2020, while Pasifika top the list for prevalence of Acute Myocardial Infarction and heart rythmn disorders.
Meanwhile, while mortality rates have declined across the population during the 21st century, Māori and Pasifika are far more likely to die of heart diseases than others.
Pasifika are estimated to lose the most years of life on average due to Cardiomyopathy (31.5 years) and Chronic ischemic heart disease (20 years). Pasifika lose on average 10.1 years for heart failure, the report said.
"For both Māori and Pacific Peoples, the median age of hospitalisation or death was more than 10 years younger than for European/Other."
Sir Collin said that a problem he has observed throughout his whole career is not getting better.
"The coalition government has argued repeatedly for treating everybody the same who have different risk factors for heart disease...[it] is not going to be helpful. We need targeted treatments for Māori and Pacific people."
"More interventions for smoking cessation, better access to primary care by providing better subsidies for Māori, for example, to see the GP earlier...both being poor and being Māori or Pacific are independent risk factors, which argues for targeted interventions."
"Otherwise, we will just keep seeing the same things that we've been seeing over the last two decades."
