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The PHA - an informed, collaborative and strong advocate for public health.

Public Health Champion 2007  -  Papaarangi Reid

Photo: Qiane Corfield/Mana Magazine

Growing up in rural Northland, the fourth of six children, Papaarangi Reid always had a flair for science.

Schooled at Hikurangi Primary and then Kamo High, Papaarangi was fascinated by science and always wanted to do something in that area.

She admits her ambitions at the time were to become qualified, get into the city and 'make money' but Mum and Dad had other ideas.

"My parents were very keen on tertiary education for each of us and my mother's expectation was that I would become a doctor at the very least," says Associate Professor Reid.

Papaarangi graduated from Auckland University with a science degree, moved south to Otago to study medicine, returning to Auckland to complete her medical degree in the early 1980s.

"These were the heady days of political development," she says. "The 1981 Springbok tour, the land marches, Bastion Point, the Waitangi protests. During this time I learned to view health differently because of the people and the events around me. I saw health outcomes (as well as others like education, justice and social welfare) as system or societal outcomes. So remedies would also need to be systemic or societal. But most of all, I saw that we had to stop “victim-blame” analyses because they are superficial and scientifically lazy. They were times that made power issues like racism and sexism crystal clear.

"I was a junior doctor (mainly at Middlemore Hospital) and then completed a Diploma of Obstetrics, again in South Auckland. From there, I realised I wanted to work in ill health prevention and became involved in an early Māori health promotion project called Waiora. Even then I was motivated by the stark picture of ethnic inequalities in health.

That was followed by what Dr Reid describes as a "rather tortuous" path to finally specialising in public health in 1995.

In congratulating Papaarangi Reid on becoming Public Health Champion for 2007, the PHA director, Dr Gay Keating says, "Papaarangi has contributed immensely to making Māori health a national priority. Against the tide of popular opinion she has had the courage to look at the disparities between the health of Māori and non Māori."

This is particularly highlighted when Associate Professor Reid describes what she believes is the single most important thing needing to be addressed in public health. "It is a change of attitude toward what are regarded as 'Māori problems' by non-Māori."

She admits it's not a popular message but she is forthright with it. "Labour got into government on a promise of 'Closing the Gaps' but that generated a huge white backlash. The acknowledgement of Māori inequality got watered down, turned over and remarketed as being due to Māori bad behaviour or bad genes.

"We've got a whole lot of international and national human rights instruments telling us that when you have systematic inequalities it is the duty of the state to intervene with legislation and affirmative action programmes. But I see none of that. White hysteria has become overwhelming to the point where you get high profile Pakeha saying child abuse for instance is 'a Māori problem'.

This well respected researcher adds “People are moving away from evidence about really complex issues because they want simple answers and quick cures. But that’s too simplistic. So we get lazy thinkers making sound bite judgements instead of promoting or leading informed engagement. Pakeha can't keep denying what the evidence is showing.

"Eliminating inequalities means recognising that they are complex, multi-layered and long-standing situations that will take a commitment to goodwill, good information, good resources and a good deal of time to reach resolution. Only that commitment will really make the rightful changes to improve Māori health."

Associate Professor Reid is the Tumuaki (Deputy Dean – Māori) in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, at the University of Auckland, overseeing the development of teaching and research programmes focusing on health issues affecting Māori communities.

She was made a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (Royal Australian College of Physicians) in 1995.

Prior to her appointment as Tumuaki, she was the Director of the Eru Pomare Māori Health Research Centre at the Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

This mother of two says a really great day involves good coffee and good friends and ticking jobs off the 'to do' list.

And as if her achievements weren’t enough, Papaarangi says she continues to work on being a better mother, citizen of the world, listener, friend, artist... and cook.