Post its, panels and people. That’s the recipe for a pretty decent session talking about equity and what it means for people and their health, or more specifically, what those working in the health sector can do to ensure that we’re collectively focusing our efforts in the right place.

On 1 August 2016, Ko Awatea facilitated a stakeholder engagement session on their newest campaign on Health Equity. Leilani Unasa, Settings Coordination Manager for Healthy Families Manukau, Manurewa-Papakura was on the Leaders Panel for this session and was asked to share her vision of an alternative future where all children are healthier.

“It’s a really simple vision and a very personal one because it comes from my own experience raising children in South Auckland – I want my children, their friends and their whanau to be able to grow up and be caring, productive and healthy grandparents and great grandparents. To get to that place, lots of things across the system have to change.”

The Leaders Panel members on the night also included Dr Teuila Percival, Consultant Paediatrician, Dr Philippa Anderson, Public Health Physician, Riki Nia Nia, General Manager, Maaori Health, and Dr Lance O’Sullivan, Ko Awatea’s newest arrival and Senior Clinical Fellow.

Tracey Popham, Ko Awatea’s programme manager for the new health equity campaign spoke of the benefits of the holistic approach for the campaign.

“We are excited to be starting this new campaign, one of the focuses of which is addressing childhood obesity. We are keen to work with all community organisations and health services. What we provide is the platform and improvement methodology for partners to come together to test their ideas and innovate to achieve a common goal. Supporting teams in this way is critical because we want the greatest chance of success in the road to community transformation.”

Ultimately, though, the decision comes down to the partners to take up this challenge and this engagement session is the start of many more conversations about how to action health equity.

So, who’s talking about equity? And who’s turning the talk into action?