Maori Ethics Framework Developed for Health Research

MAORI ETHICS FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED FOR HEALTH RESEARCH posted by Waatea news September 3 2009

The Health Research Council has developed a Maori ethics framework to guide researchers wanting to engage with Maori.

Khyla Russell, a member of the council's Putaiora Writing Group, says the guidelines will be available to anyone seeking funds to research in Maori communities.

She says Maori have complained about the amount of research on them which fails to be translated into action.

“If you just take education and health and being told we’re obese, we’re under educated, we’ve too much diabetes, we’re over something or other else, and yet that has been being produced since the 1950s and yet there has been no action to redress and address that,” she says.

Dr Russell says the ethics framework will challenge some of the assumptions which have driven research on Maori, and should lead to better follow up and allocation of resources.