Publications by authors named "Martina Leialoha Kamaka"
The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community found itself on the front pages of national news when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States. By April 2020, the small, frequently overlooked community experienced the highest COVID-19 case rates in 5 states including Hawai'i. In response, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander networks across the US were mobilized to address the crisis.
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- Evidence showed higher COVID-19 infection and death rates among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in the U.S., raising concerns for these groups in Hawai'i, where they represent 25% of the population.
- In response, over 40 organizations created the Hawai'i Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response Team, which includes a Data & Research Committee focused on improving health data collection and reporting related to race/ethnicity.
- The committee aims to enhance equity by addressing inconsistencies in race data, leading to better-informed resource allocation and healthcare responses for marginalized populations.
We survey Indigenous health issues across the Pacific with a case study approach that focuses on Australia, New Zealand, Hawai'i, and US Associated Micronesia. For each case study, we provide an overview of the Indigenous population, its colonial history, and current health and social outcomes. In the discussion that follows, we flag some of the key policy initiatives that have been developed to address Indigenous health disadvantage, albeit within the context of continuing debates about Indigenous rights and policy.
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