‘Ka Mua, Ka Muri – Walking Backwards Into the Future’: Quality Assurance in Kaupapa Māori COVID-19 Clinic: A Case Study of Leadership Insights From the MIHI Mobile Vaccination Clinic
Mau Te Rangimarie Clark (Waikato/Tainui, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te W, Nadia Summers (Kāi Tahu / Ngāi Tahu, Ngā Puhi), Juanita Kane (Ngāi Tahu), Sofia Peters, Tracy Haitana (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Tuwharetoa), Jonathan Williman, Tania Huria (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga ki Wharekauri), Suzanne Pitama (Ngāti Kahungunu), Maira Patu (Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Te Arawa)Despite Aotearoa New Zealand’s rapid COVID-19 vaccine rollout, it exposed stark inequities, with Māori communities facing persistent delays. This study investigated the success of a kaupapa Māori vaccination service in Canterbury. Thematic analysis of leadership communications identified key factors, resulting in a new quality assurance model for immunisation. The model comprises three domains: Cultural, affirming Māori cultural infrastructure and relational funding; Social, ensuring equitable, community-aspirational services; and Clinical, guaranteeing evidence-based care and Māori workforce development. The MIHI Mobile Vaccine Clinic experience demonstrates that embedding Māori values into service design creates more responsive and effective health care. This relational model provides a vital, practical framework for ensuring equitable responses in future health crises.