Rheumatic fever is skyrocketing and cases in the first six months of 2023 have already ballooned past the numbers for the whole of last year.
It's prompted an expert to warn more Māori and Pasifika children will die unless health resources are targeted to help them.
Senior lecturer at the University of Auckland Dr Anneka Anderson (Kāi Tahu and Kāti Māmoe) told The Hui presenter Julian Wilcox that 'one-size-fits-all' health policies did not work for Māori.
"I would say attitudes like that are what's killing our tamariki and our rangitahi," Dr Anderson said.
"If we had a whole lot of Pākehā children in Remuera dying of an infectious disease we would see huge political campaigns and resourcing into it," she added.
"But we are not dealing with that, we are dealing with Māori and Pasifika tamariki."
Between January and the end of June, 86 rheumatic fever cases were notified to The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR).
Last year, over the same period, there were just 38 cases.
The potentially debilitating disease, often linked with strep throat, affects mainly Māori and Pasifika children aged between four and 19, particularly those living in the North Island.
Māori and Pasifika children are significantly more likely to be hospitalised with rheumatic fever than those of European or other ethnicities.
Recurrent bouts or delayed treatment can lead to the development of rheumatic heart disease. This scars their heart valves, leading to chronic long-term illness. It can also knock up to 15 years off a patient's life expectancy.
Dr Anderson said the current rheumatic fever hot spots are Tāmaki Makaurau, particularly in south Auckland, and Wellington.
Waikato and Bay of Plenty were also seeing a surge in cases.
She said inequities in income, housing, and education, along with systemic racism, were all intersecting, resulting in a number of poor health outcomes for Māori and Pasifika, including rheumatic fever.
Dr Anderson challenged those who were calling for a 'one health' approach to demonstrate that it would deliver better health outcomes for Māori and Pasifika.
"Show me the evidence. Show me the data. We have got years and years [of evidence] to show that one-size-fits-all disadvantages Māori. We also have got evidence to show that a for-Māori, by-Māori approach advantages Māori," she said.
"This 'one health' for everyone, I think, is just blatant racism because we know that 'one health' here is for Pākehā and that's not going to benefit our mokopuna."
Dr Anderson said she was encouraged by the launch of the Rheumatic Fever Roadmap in June, which is a five-year plan to tackle the disease and its causes.
She praised a $3 million commitment by Cure Kids to help eradicate rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.
This money is currently being used to fund six research projects, including research to design preventative interventions, improve access to care, and develop a diagnostic test, effective treatments and a vaccine.
Made with support from Te Māngai Pāho and New Zealand On Air.
