8 April 2026
The report states that one in five hospitalisations for children and adolescents in Aotearoa are for acute respiratory conditions and this rises to more than one in three for those aged one and under.
New Zealand is now experiencing record rates of hospitalisation for these largely preventable illnesses – an increase of 60% since 2000.
And these rates are disproportionately high for Pacific children, tamariki Māori and children living in areas of the greatest social deprivation. In addition, compared to non-Māori and non-Pacific children, Pacific are 43 times as likely, and tamariki Māori are 16 times as likely, to be diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Disease or Acute Rheumatic Fever.
It is no coincidence that latest Stats New Zealand Child Poverty figures show one in seven or 169,300 children are living in material hardship and there has been no change since 2018.
Plunket nurses, kaiāwhina and community health workers witness
cost-of-living challenges for whānau every day. Families are struggling to meet the basic needs of their tamariki – food and a warm, dry home – and there are heartbreaking health issues associated with that.
As UNICEF notes, poverty affects children differently. Even a temporary period of poverty can have long-lasting effects on a child’s cognitive development and mental health as well as their physical health – and their opportunities as an adult.
We agree with Cure Kids CEO, Frances Soutter, that there is an urgent need for bipartisan, longer-term investment to ensure better health outcomes for our pēpi and tamariki. We need to work together to tackle the drivers of child poverty, such as housing, and boost investment in child health research, with a focus on prevention.
The report also calls for funding of a new medication, Nirsevimab, for all infants to reduce RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) associated hospitalisations, which we fully support.
RSV disproportionately affects pēpi under 12 months and hospitalisations from RSV are highest for Māori and Pacific populations, children living in rural communities and in areas of high deprivation. Nirsevimab is widely used internationally, and we must do all we can to prevent the avoidable, long-term harm RSV is causing, particularly for our most vulnerable tamariki.
With the flu season upon us, these are not theoretical concerns; they are all too real in our communities. Whānau Āwhina Plunket, in partnership with Health NZ, now offers immunisation services at 24 of our sites nationwide, with more than 8770 vaccines given since this pilot began just over 12 months ago.
We delighted that from mid-April, our free immunisation service will expand to offer influenza vaccines to eligible whānau. Given the worrying statistics, it is crucial that we support awareness and uptake of influenza vaccinations, particularly for pregnant māmā and whānau with tamariki under the age of five.
Influenza vaccinations will also be available for eligible tamariki aged four years and under who have been hospitalised for respiratory illness, or have a history of significant respiratory illness.
As the Cure Kids report notes: “By better understanding and preventing illness early, we can reduce pressure on our healthcare system and give all children in Aotearoa the opportunity to thrive. A worthy investment in our future generations.”
Our pēpi and tamariki are our future and we need to work together to fix this.
