Appendix One: Background to the Action Plan

In October 2010, The Ministry of Health released its first Faiva Ora Pasifika National Disability Plan 2010-2013 to:

• Improve the lives of Pacific disabled people. Its focus was supporting people to live in their own homes, participate in their own communities, and removing barriers to their participation. 
• Draw on improved data and evidence that indicated the Pacific population was living with significant disability-supported needs and high socio-economic disadvantage.

The guiding principles of the Faiva Ora Plan reflected the values that Pacific people said were important, ‘if health and social services connected culture and care for Pasifika people, we would see better access rates, earlier intervention from services, more satisfaction with the quality of services, and better social and health outcomes. (Le Va, Engaging Pasifika).

The Faiva Ora Leadership Group (community mandated) was set up to guide the work of Pacific Disability and to support the Faiva Ora Plan. The Group has provided the Ministry of Health and now Whaikaha with guidance and advice on issues relating to Pacific disabled people, their family members and Aiga.