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Ahakoa kua piki ake te hauora o te iwi Māori i roto i
ngā tau, kāhore tonu i te pai te hauora hinengaro
Māori ki tērā o te Pākehā. Kua nui ake ngā mate
mōmori, mate tārūrū me te nui o te hunga e tomo ana
ki ngā hōhipera. Maha tonu ngā take i pēnei ai, ko te
mea nui kua takahia ngā tikanga Māori; kaore hoki i
tau pai te taha mātauranga ki ngā kura, kaore te taha
ohaoha ki te Māori i tika te tohatoha, kāre hoki i pai
te tiaki tūroro. I te katinga o ngā hōhipera wairangi,
ko te tūmanako kia hono ngā tūroro i o rātou ano
hāpori; kaore tenei i tāea ka pā te mokemoke te aurere
hoki mo rātou ngā tūroro.
Ko te tauira hei rapu huarahi mo te oranga ake o
te hinengaro Māori ko te rau o te rākau nei te Puahou.
Tuatahi, me whakaū he tuakiri Māori; tuarua kia whai
wāhi i waenganui ki ngā iwi me te whakahāere pūtea;
tuatoru me whakatikatika ngā rātonga hauora kia pai
ai ki ngā tangata whai oranga me o rātou whānau;
tuawhā ki a whakatipuria te rōpu kaimahi Māori;
tuarima kia tau ngā whakahāere ki raro i ta te Māori
titiro. Na te mea he take whānui tēnei, kua tae hoki te
wā kia whakatutia he roopu Māori hei here, hei
whakahāere i tēnei āhuatanga.

Although there have been substantial improvements
in Māori health generally, disparities in standards of
mental health between Māori and non-Māori remain
unacceptably high. Suicide rates, levels of acuity and
hospital admissions have all increased, dramatically.
Many factors have combined to produce the current
situation, including alienation from Māori resources,
educational underachievement, economic
marginalisation, and unsatisfactory arrangements for
care and treatment. The closure of large mental
hospitals was intended to promote closer ties between
the sick and their communities, but all too often
isolation within the community resulted.
Puahou is a five point plan for improving mental
health for Māori. It consists of five strategies. First
the attainment of a secure Māori identity; second active
participation in society and the economy; third the
realignment of services to meet Māori needs; fourth
Māori workforce development; and fifth autonomy and
control. Furthermore, because problems associated
with mental health are so diverse and extend over
several sectors, a coordinated approach driven by a
national Māori body is warranted.