CM Health is one of 20 district health boards (DHBs) established under the New Zealand Health and Disability Act 2000 to plan and fund the provision of personal health, public health and disability support services for the improvement of the health of the population.
In 2019, CM Health provides and funds health and disability services to an estimated 569,400 people who reside in the local authority areas of Auckland, Waikato and Hauraki District. We have one of the fastest growing DHB populations in New Zealand, with a youthful and ageing population.
Our population is diverse and vibrant, with strong cultural values. Counties Manukau is home to New Zealand’s second largest Maaori population and largest population of Pacific people, as well as fast growing Asian communities. By 2025, our district is forecast to be 16% Maaori, 22% Pacific, 30% Asian and 32% European/Other ethnicity.
Across our district, the health and circumstances of our communities are not the same. Over 123,000 children live in Counties Manukau, with almost one in two (approximately 45%) living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation (NZDep2013 9&10).
There are persistent gaps in life expectancy between Maaori and Pacific people and others living in Counties Manukau On the basis of the NZDep2013 measure, Otara, Mangere and Manurewa, home to many of our Maaori and Pacific communities, are the most socioeconomically deprived areas in our district.
Long-term mental and physical conditions also do not affect all groups in our community equally. Our population experiences relatively high rates of ill-health risk factors (such as smoking, obesity and hazardous alcohol use) that contribute to a ‘package’ of long-term physical conditions, which are responsible for the majority of potentially avoidable deaths.
The rate of hospitalisation for circulatory diseases for our Maaori communities is estimated to be 88% higher than for non-Maaori. Diabetes prevalence is higher amongst our Pacific (15.7% of adults), Indian (12.8%) and Maaori (10.3%) communities, compared to European/Other (6.7%). Overall, 10% of adults (aged 15+) within Counties Manukau have diabetes.
Increasing the number of people living smoke-free and free from the harms of hazardous alcohol use, improving nutrition and physical activity, and reducing obesity are key to improving the health of our population.
Counties Manukau is made up of vibrant and diverse communities, with a population set to rise to 78,000 more people by 2028. To provide quality care for this growing population, many with complex health needs, we’ve implemented a number of programmes in 2018 and continuing through 2019 to ensure we’re achieving the best outcomes for whaanau in the community. Our 7,000 strong workforce, who are based at Middlemore Hospital and at our satellite sites throughout the community, are the drivers of these programmes - they are the heart of CM Health.
For further insight into how we provide quality care to Counties Manukau people, read our full summary report here.
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