Maioha Haimona-Ngawharau and Māia Lockyer

We have created an initiative called Haumanu Hauora, which seeks to bridge the gap between medical knowledge and patient understanding, ultimately improving adherence to treatment and empowering whānau to take charge of their health.

Maioha’s moemoeā…

As fourth-year Māori medical students, we are committed to using our knowledge and skills to give back to our communities.

We recognised that many patients leave clinical encounters feeling confused or overwhelmed by complex medical terminology. This confusion contributes to poorer health outcomes, particularly for Māori, who already experience inequities in access and outcomes within the healthcare system. Haumanu Hauora was developed as a practical response to this challenge.

Our kaupapa harnesses the power of social media, one of today’s most influential platforms for shaping culture and knowledge. By producing and releasing free health literacy resources, we aim to break down the physiology and pathology of common conditions, demystify clinical language, and provide practical tools for navigating the healthcare system. At present, there are very few content creators in this space, and we see this as both a responsibility and an opportunity. If our people are already engaging with social media daily, then we must meet them where they are.

Our dream is to grow Haumanu Hauora beyond online platforms, extending into wānanga at marae and kura across the motu. In doing so, we can weave together the accessibility of digital media with the strength of kanohi ki te kanohi learning, ensuring that health knowledge is shared in culturally resonant, community-centred ways.

Through this initiative we hope to transform health literacy, not as an abstract concept, but as a lived reality for whānau. Haumanu Hauora represents our belief that knowledge is most powerful when it is shared, accessible, and used to uplift the hauora of all our people.