Among 16 comparable countries, no other country has shrunk its public health expenditure as a percentage of GDP to the extent New Zealand has.
- Professor of Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
New Zealand spends less on public health as a proportion of GDP than similar countries. Without a significant boost, the health system will remain stressed.
Using ethnicity as a proxy for need is supported by local and international research. The government’s decision to get rid of it will mean worse outcomes for Māori and Pacific New Zealanders.
New Zealand is not unique – health systems in most high-income countries are under stress. But that’s no reason to question the viability of the publicly-funded system in general.
The Māori Health Authority is gone, but a law remains that puts primary focus on reducing health inequities – meaning the government may struggle to bridge the gap between rhetoric and policy priority.
With great expectations come great challenges, and one of the biggest facing the new Health NZ agency will be rebuilding a collaborative ethos in the sector.
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