Māori TB Cases in Waikato: Study Shows Gaps in Care and Contact Tracing

In New Zealand, half of all tuberculosis cases among people born there are Māori. The disease has lingered in Māori communities since the late 1800s, shaped by complex social and political factors. The nation has signed on to a global plan to end TB, yet researchers wanted to see how well health services reach Māori patients and their contacts.

The team looked back at records of Māori individuals diagnosed with lung TB in the Waikato region between 2018 and 2023. They found seventeen patients, whose ages ranged from the early twenties to over eighty. Sixteen of them began treatment, but only thirteen managed to finish it. One person died before the case was officially reported, and two more passed away while receiving care.

Contact tracing revealed 182 people linked to the cases, with most being household members (42%) and hospital staff (25%). About two‑thirds of these contacts were screened for latent TB infection; 117 were tested, and 15 (11%) returned positive results and were sent for follow‑up. Only two patients received assistance from a health navigator during the process.

Because the current system falls short, a new model of care is needed to improve outreach, follow‑up, and support for Māori patients and their contacts. Such a model could help close the gap and ultimately end the Māori TB epidemic.