A new digital tool to support Māori communities to vaccinate against COVID-19 is available now and you don’t even need data on your mobile device to use it.
The new mapping tool is part of the “Be a Doer! Karawhiua” campaign, which provides trusted information for people, particularly Māori communities, to make an informed choice about the COVID-19 vaccine and find a vaccine centre that is best for them.
The tool enables people to enter their location via the Karawhiua website and immediately see a map pinpointing their nearest registered vaccination centre, including Kaupapa Māori centres. The information available is updated daily.
Since launching the mapping function in August, there have been over 23,000 map users with more than 7000 ‘select a clinic’ actions and a daily increasing trend of people booking appointments.
“More and more health information is available online which is great but we don’t want the cost of data to stop people from getting the information they need,” says Debra Jensen, General Manager Communications, Digital and Marketing, Te Hiringa Hauora | Health Promotion Agency.
“That is why Te Hiringa Hauora made sure the new mapping tool is available through the sponsored data initiative run by Ministry of Health. It means whānau can get on with making a decision about the COVID-19 vaccine and where to get it, instead of worrying about paying for more data,” says Debra.
The sponsored data initiative means that while people are on the Karawhiua website (and other health related websites) all mobile data charges are charged back to the Ministry of Health.
“Be a Doer! Karawhiua” is led by Te Puni Kōkiri and co-delivered by Te Hiringa Hauora. The mapping tool was developed by Somar Digital, who worked with Healthpoint and Aro Digital. Find out more about the technology behind the tool.
The campaign’s slogan “Be a doer! Karawhiua” means “Go for it”, “Give it heaps”. It focuses on Māori taking action to look after their own wellbeing and recognises individual choice. A new TV commercial and series of social media videos about the achievement of a predominantly Māori community in achieving high vaccination rates supports the launch of the mapping tool.
Karawhiua complements the All-of-New Zealand campaign run by Unite Against COVID-19 and the Ministry of Health. Māori communications specialists including representatives from the Iwi Communications Collective have helped to inform the Karawhiua campaign throughout.
“The partnerships behind this work are about much more than technology. Whanaungatanga has been a critical success factor which has seen all of us trust each other’s expertise and foster new ways of working to support equity and benefit for Aotearoa,” says Debra.
Image: East Coast nurse, Gina Chaffey-Aupouri with Campbell Dewes (Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa) at the pop-up vaccine clinic in Hinerupe Marae on the East Cape. Photo by Josie McClutchie.