Culturally responsive health initiatives for Māori and Pacific communities in Australia: A systematic review

To synthesise evidence on culturally responsive health initiatives for Māori and Pacific communities living in Australia and examine how these initiatives contribute to improved health outcomes and health-equity.

A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 2001 and 2025 were searched across six databases. Studies were included if they described culturally responsive, community-led or Indigenous-informed health initiatives involving Māori and/or Pacific peoples in Australia. Data were analysed using a culturally grounded framework informed by decolonising research principles.

Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. Four inter-related themes were identified: (1) power-sharing through community-led governance; (2) culturally safe dialogue grounded in relational practice; (3) the use of Māori and Pacific frameworks; and (4) partnerships shaped by differentiated funding models. Most initiatives demonstrated strong cultural process outcomes, while fewer reported sustained clinical outcomes.

Culturally responsive health initiatives for Māori and Pacific communities in Australia are most effective when grounded in relational practice, Māori and Pacific leadership and explicit power-sharing arrangements.

Health systems must move beyond cultural participation towards sustained cultural authority, fit-for-purpose funding and evaluation approaches that capture equity-relevant processes.