This editorial aims to highlight the health status for both children and adults, focusing on health indicators with worrying trends, and provides actionable insights for a way forwards in addressing and improving Asian health in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Tag: Asian health
Asian Health in Aotearoa: Findings from the New Zealand Health Survey 2002 – 2021
This report provides a current picture of the health status of the NZ population using data collected in the 2019–20 and 2020–21
annual survey periods from the following six ethnic groupings: South Asian, Chinese, Other Asian, Māori, Pacific, and European & Other.
Comparisons have also been made between South Asian, Chinese, and Other Asian participants to identify any trends in the Asian
community during 2002–03 to 2019–21.
Asian Public Health in Aotearoa New Zealand October 2021
Asians in Aotearoa New Zealand have a diverse variety of ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures, and thus have diverse health needs. Asians are NZ’s fastest growing ethnic group it was recently announced that the Asian population is projected to reach 26% by 2043. So it’s increasingly important that their health issues are not overlooked.
Although the health of Asians in NZ appears to be generally good there are in fact many unique health issues. This includes the particular health needs of different Asian ethnicities and subpopulations, including youth, women, older people, new migrants, and refugees and asylum seekers.
Utilisation of services is particularly concerning. Major barriers include racism and discrimination, English language proficiency, cultural ifferences, lack of awareness of services, and lack of appropriate services. Where appropriate services are available there
is insufficient capacity.
However, this does give rise to many opportunities a national plan or strategy would give a consistent approach to Asian health for the whole of NZ and could provide a good framework for more targeted services, increased culturally appropriate workforce increased engagement and accessibility, and an improvement in Asian inclusive public health research and data collection. Addressing mental health for Asians in NZ is a key priority.