The Government giving an extra $26 million to Māori health care providers to help with the current COVID-19 response.

 Minister for Whānau Ora Peeni Henare said “Delta has created new challenges for access to food and essential services and also requires more intensive responses to maintain whānau wellbeing. As a result it is important that additional funding is provided where it is most needed.” 

“The three Whānau Ora commissioning agencies will receive an immediate boost of $8.816 million to continue to provide direct and integrated support to hard-to-reach whānau presenting with complex and overlapping needs.”

 “A further $14.216 million will be distributed based on need as information on the impact of the current change in alert levels unfolds. This will support the work of Whānau Ora providers to meet the increased community need for support and services, including accessing vaccinations, testing and self-isolating spaces.”

 The Ministry of Social Development is also making a $2 million fund immediately available to partner with iwi responding to critical unmet needs.  

Funding of $1 million, from the COVID-19 Response and Resilience Fund, will also be available to support iwi community responses and assist them to update pandemic response plans to take into account the new reality of the Delta variant.

“This support follows talks in the past fortnight with over 100 iwi leaders, marae chairs, and urban authorities,” Minister for Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis said.

Peeni Henare said that since the COVID-19 resurgence, Whānau Ora commissioning agencies have mobilised their provider and partner networks to redirect resources and operations to support immediate needs ranging from providing whānau with kai and hygiene packs to setting up hubs so whānau can access the support they need.