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Project

The Cook Islands Health Network Association (CIHNA) - NZ, has been contracted by the Ministry of Health to conduct a Cook Islands Health and Disability Workforce Development Project.

The project has three main goals. 

1. Infrastructure - to develop and strengthen the Cook Islands Health Network Association (CIHNA) infrastructure;

2. Membership Activities - to support current member activities as well as identifying new opportunities for increasing membership;

3. Workforce Development - to increase the capacity and capability of the Cook Islands health and disability workforce;

We acknowledge the importance of community collaboration and diversity among the Cook Islands people. Integral to the success of this project is the participation of the Cook Islands community, including Cook Islands youth, in working together to develop Cook Islands inspired approaches to improving the health status of Cook Islands people in New Zealand.

A series of 5 meetings/uipa’anga will be held throughout the country by the CIHNA Executive, in conjunction with Cook Islands community members. The purpose for these meetings is to engage with our Cook Islands communities across New Zealand to discuss among other things, ways of achieving the project goals. The meetings will involve:

Providing information

• presentation about CIHNA  and the project;

• developing a database of the Cook Islands Health and Disability workforce in New Zealand;

Seeking feedback

• discussion on recruiting and retaining Cook Islands people into the health and disability sector;

• discussion about developing and promoting Cook Islands models of care and cultural competence;

• dialogue on opportunities for advancing Cook Islands people in the health and disability workforce; and

• discussion on effective communication methods between Cook Islands community, social and health services;

Seeking information

• improving information on the Cook Islands health and disability workforce.

Our first meeting/uipa'anga was held in Wellington at Te Akapuanga on Wednesday 14 December 2005.

The meeting was attended by over 30 participants from a good cross section of the Cook Islands community in Wellington with diverse backgrounds. The meeting was advertised on radio, Cook Islands online notice boards, electronic email and by word of mouth. The meeting included a brief presentation on CIHNA and the project followed by a group discussion and feedback session.  We are in the process of collating the feedback from this session.

About Us

The Cook Islands Health Network Association (NZ) exists to represent the healthcare interests of Cook Islands people in New Zealand.