A Maori public health specialist says whanau should use Men's Health Week to tell their men how much they're valued.
Dr Rhys Jones from Mana Tane O Aotearoa - the Maori Men's Health Collective - says Maori men are providers, protectors and keepers of important family information.
He says they're raised to put the needs of others before their own, and many fail to have regular health check-ups.
Dr Rhys Jones says Maori men lag behind non-Maori in most health indices, especially heart health and diabetes.
