On 1 July 2020, Midland Cancer Network (MCN) officially became a regional hub of Te Aho o Te Kahu, the new Cancer Control Agency established in December 2019 to unite and lead cancer control efforts in New Zealand. The move will ensure a continued regional presence to help deliver more equitable cancer care across the country, while building on current connections and expanding engagement opportunities.
The MCN team was welcomed to Te Aho o Te Kahu with a pōwhiri at Pipitea Marae in Wellington on 1 July, followed by two days of working through inductions, whakawhanaungatanga, and establishing work processes and programmes.
As a regional hub of Te Aho o Te Kahu, the team will continue to deliver the current regional workplan for 2020/21 as previously planned. Stakeholder groups will also continue through the transition and staff will still be based at the HealthShare Office, led by manager Jan Smith. Over time, the four regional hub work programmes will increasingly align to the Te Aho o Te Kahu priorities, for the implementation of the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan.
The national Cancer Control Agency was established in December last year and was gifted the Māori name Te Aho o Te Kahu, by Hei Āhuru Mōwai, Māori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa. The name, meaning ‘the central thread of the cloak,’ was developed in response to feedback from people living with cancer and whānau Māori.