Enhancing Pacific Health Services: the growth and innovation of Pacific providers in Aotearoa

Pacific health providers have worked to improve access to care and outcomes for Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand since the 1980s. Although now an integral part of the health system (their role exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic), providers' characteristics and service models are poorly understood and under theorised.

This study aimed to strengthen evidence about Pacific health providers for policy development by examining the evolution of the sector, identifying key provider organisational features and service delivery patterns, and developing a framework to categorise providers.

A stocktake was conducted to collect descriptive data on 43 Pacific health providers identified using specific criteria. Public material about providers was reviewed, and all providers were invited to complete an online survey and phone interview.

Four categories were established representing the range of services delivered by Pacific health providers across general practice, primary health care, health promotion and support, and non-frontline 'enabler' settings. These providers operated in 88 different locations nationwide. Revenue data indicated significant growth from 2019 to 2023, partly due to COVID-19 funding. Survey results showed that most providers managed multiple, short-term contracts. Providers reported that 83% of their workforce was of Pacific ethnicity, highlighting their role as significant employers of Pacific health workers.

This comprehensive stocktake provides insights about the contributions of Pacific health providers, while also highlighting the data gaps that have constrained understanding of their development. The proposed categorisation framework reflects the diverse activities of Pacific health providers, offering a foundation for ongoing assessment of their impact on Pacific health outcomes.