Role of Kia Ora Hauora in supporting Māori physiotherapy students

Since its establishment in 2010, 1,338 Māori students, with an interest in studying physiotherapy, have registered with the Kia Ora Hauora national Māori health workforce development programme. The Kia Ora Hauora programme is a by Māori for Māori programme that engages with Māori students, and the health and education sectors, to help remove barriers to Māori success in working in the health sector.  

Of the 1,338 Māori students more than half progressed to tertiary study, with 257 choosing physiotherapy as their study pathway. About 100 of these students have completed their degrees in physiotherapy, with 56 now employed as physiotherapists.

These findings come from a report utilising Kia Ora Hauora data and prepared by BERL, with support from the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand | Te Poari Tiaki Tinana o Aotearoa (PBNZ). The report’s findings highlight Kia Ora Hauora’s significant contributions to Māori engaging in physiotherapy tertiary study and transitioning to employment.

Kia Ora Hauora engagement (consisting of emails, phone calls, text messages, and other communications between Kia Ora Hauora and their registered students) levels reflect the depth of its impact on its registered students. On average, each registered student received 14 engagements, with key themes including scholarships, funding assistance, and health pathway guidance. These services have proved to be invaluable in supporting students throughout their academic and professional journeys.

Overall from 2010 to 2023, Kia Ora Hauora supported up to 40 percent of all Māori studying physiotherapy.

The report is available here