According to a new study, the health of Whanganui Māori is markedly worse than the rest of New Zealanders.
A Whanganui District Health Board (DHB) health needs assessment report, prepared with the MidCentral DHB, found that the mortality rate for Whanganui Māori between 2006 and 2010 was 142 percent higher than for New Zealand overall.
For Māori generally it was 90 percent higher than for all New Zealanders.
The report found 40 percent of deaths resulted from circulatory diseases, 30 percent from cancer and 10 percent from respiratory illness.
It also reaffirmed that Māori, older people and the socio-economically disadvantaged had the highest levels of health needs.
Its author, MidCentral DHB clinical advisor Dr Richard Fong, said the report would help better target health services at where they are most needed.