Existing evidence demonstrates clear links between culturally safe care, and achieving health equity (Curtis et al., 2019). Cultural safety is emphasised as a pathway for equity of care access, experience and outcomes for all New Zealanders in the 2022 health system reforms across Aotearoa. The commencement of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act from July 1st 2022, for example, aims (among other aims) to achieve equity in health outcomes among New Zealand’s population groups. Recommendations for the provision of “services that are culturally safe and culturally responsive to people’s needs” (para. 7(d)(i)) are central to this aim.
This review of evidence, funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council (HRC), intends to contribute to building equitable healthcare systems and services within Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa) through examination of published literature exploring system interventions and systemic conditions that enable culturally safe care – progressing our health and care systems towards Māori health advancement and the achievement of Māori health equity.
The evidence review can be downloaded here:
