The government is hoping to boost the number of Māori and Pasifika midwives in Aotearoa.
At the moment, less than 10 percent of midwives identify as Māori and less than three percent as Pasifika.
A new $6 million initiative will see New Zealand's five midwifery education providers work together to increase the number of Māori and Pasifika students.
RNZ Pacific's Sela Jane Hopgood reports.
