Jesse Whitehead
Rural health in Aotearoa New Zealand faces significant challenges, with rural communities—especially Māori—experiencing worse health outcomes than urban populations. These disparities are linked to older demographics, higher socioeconomic deprivation, and barriers to accessing healthcare. Despite greater health needs, rural populations use hospital services less often, suggesting access is a major obstacle. Climate change and extreme weather events, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, make these issues worse by isolating communities and disrupting fragile infrastructure. There is little research on how these events affect healthcare access in rural areas, creating a critical knowledge gap.
This project aims to understand how extreme weather events impact access to health services in rural communities and to develop tools that help health organisations plan for these challenges. Specifically, it will identify which areas and populations were isolated during Cyclone Gabrielle, focusing on Māori, Pacific peoples, and those in high-deprivation areas. It will also create a geospatial tool to support Primary Health Organisations in preparing for future disasters and ensuring equitable access to care.
The research will use a mixed-methods approach. Quantitatively, advanced geospatial analysis will measure changes in travel distance to health services before and after Cyclone Gabrielle, using census data and anonymised patient records. This will reveal which communities were most affected. Qualitatively, wānanga (collaborative workshops) with Hauraki Primary Health Organisation will guide how findings can be applied to emergency planning. A Kaupapa Māori approach will ensure the research aligns with Māori health priorities and supports equity-focused solutions.
Rural communities in New Zealand face big health challenges, especially Māori, who often have worse outcomes and less access to care. Climate change and severe weather events, like Cyclone Gabrielle, make this worse by cutting off roads and isolating people from essential services. Our project will work with Hauraki Primary Health Organisation to study how these events affect healthcare access and develop tools to help health providers plan better for disasters. By combining technology and local knowledge, we aim to make rural healthcare more resilient and fair.
The project will produce a hazard mapping tool that shows which areas and patients are likely to become isolated during extreme weather events. This will help health organisations create local emergency plans and meet legal requirements to identify vulnerable groups, including Māori, Pacific peoples, and those in high-deprivation areas. Ultimately, the research will strengthen disaster preparedness, improve equity in healthcare access, and support long-term resilience for rural communities.
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