HIGH MAORI DEATH RATE

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1930, Page 8

HIGH MAORI DEATH RATE

(Wellington Dominion).

• -Sir Maui Poraare’s death occasioned some reierence to improvements in Maori hygienee in the past ; the section devoted to Maori deaths in the latest Abstract of Statistics proves, however, that much more could and should be done in future. It comes as a shock L o the complacency with which pakehas generally regard their dealings with the native race to discover, for in-

stance, that the Maori death rate is a'most twice as high as that for the

pakeha. Certainly it is true that the Maor ’ irth rate is also higher—so muel higher in fact that the Maori rate o natural increase exceeds that of th< kehn. The average annual rates o'

>crease in the last five years wer< iW'Maoris and 11.67 for Europ nans. At the same time, even althougl on the balance the Maori comes ou J better than the pakeha, it will b ’greed that every* effort should h I "de to lower the Maori death ratb a much as possible.

' Chief among the, causes of the high mortality among the Maoris is tin Vrivv toll of infant life. Even a document such as that pre rmt.ed 1 y the A' stract allows common* to go as far as to remark .that tty Mant mortality rates is “rather »p filing.” In the last five years thr

has averaged 116 deaths -per 100' births against only 38 for Europeans or oyer three times as high. Tin ,r "o'ri figures vary greatly from year in .war but when a ‘quinquennial com nnr»snn is made, as above, the result must be accepted as. reasonably correct. ‘

■Tt must also he accepted as a challenge to the Maori Hygiene Division of the Health Department to try to do something effective to reduce the rate, '"..i Division has accomplished a greaf bo„i i n the past against such handicaps as tradition, prejudice and ignorance. Those handicaps still- remain although probably they are growing less severe, hut it should be possible to overcome them by education and skilled attention.

Pakeha experience shows what can be done. The great disparity in the infant death rate occurs in the p.riod, “one month and under 12 months.” It was in this period that the Phmket Society was able to do so much to save the pakeha baby, gains made in face,of the same sort ol handicaps imposed on the Maori Hygiene Division. The methods which have been applied with such striking success by the Plunket Society might well be extended to the Maori. In tact, if the Division could induce the Society to take up the problem actively, the latter’s voluntary organ'sation should be able to accomplish a ".rent deal.

Many interesting facts emerge from ihe survey of the causes of death of ' r aoris of all ages. In some cases-tV* heavy toll may be clue to lack of tlie natural immunity possessed by the luronean and in others to poor sanction. Tvphoid fever and influenza "nd the Maori a susceptible subject •<«d. in lesser degree, measels, whoop-ing-cough and diphtheria. Tuberculosis is still a scourge of the race, accounting for more denths than any •'thoi* one cause although, on the * her hand, the incidence of cancer is rcmnrknblv low;.

'Emm this brief and incomplete sim"W it is plain that a marked rertno-<-ien in the Maori death rate wo»»M .'spem to l-e an object?ve as *M*«eticoM« «»cj it is desirable. Effort should d>y-'-otnd all ploTifTiv+he brio and .partic-tn-n-rird of the trag:aa.Uy high rate,, of .tyi'an*' mortality.