WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme a finalist at the Primary Care Awards 2026

WellSouth's Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme is a finalist at the Primary Care Awards for the HALEO Best Supplier Service, Product or Campaign category. Winners will be announced on 17 October. 

WellSouth Pou Haumanu Māori - Clinical Advisor Māori, Dr Miriama Ketu-McKenzie designed and spearheaded this programme with support from the WellSouth Teams including Equity, Practice Partners and Communication & Engagement. The programme was also supported by colleagues within Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora.   

Kahu Taurima translates to "protective cloak of support and care," focused on the first 2,000 days. The programme aims to boost timely enrolment for newborns and 6-week immunisation rates, connect families, particularly mums, to ongoing care for better long-term outcomes, reduce equity gaps, as well as support practices to reach immunisations target funding.

The Kahu Taurima programme has been rolled out across the Southern district in phases. 

The first phase saw general practices handing out a woven kete containing a children’s book, water wipes and a pack of biodegradable, disposable nappies, to all new caregivers when they enrolled their baby at a general practice in Otago/Southland. The second phase involves a staff member contacting parents 3-weeks after their baby is born to formally welcome them to the practice and assess whether the whānau needs any support to enrol or attend their baby’s first check-up. In addition to the kete, community service card holders and families from priority populations can also access a funded caregiver wellbeing check-up under the Kahu Taurima programme.  

Dr Miriama Ketu-McKenzie explains that “being a finalist at the Primary Care Awards is an acknowledgment that this programme has merit and is valued by new caregivers across the district. It confirms our belief that quality relationships with healthcare providers are vital to life-long health and that those relationships start from the very first interaction.” 

At its heart, the WellSouth Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme was designed to reduce inequities for priority populations who may face barriers to engaging with general practice. It also aligns with the funding and performance expectations Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora introduced for general practice to reach a 6-week immunisation target as part of the National Immunisation Schedule. 

Early engagement with primary care through encouraging whānau to enrol pēpi with a general practice soon after birth, supported by a positive first experience, can set a strong foundation for ongoing access to care. 

She says that "...what we’ve learned so far, is that every interaction a health professional has with their patients, either increases or decreases their trust in the health system as a whole. By providing practices with something tangible, practical and useful that they can give to new caregivers, we are helping ensure that those early interactions are positive.” 

Since its launch, there has been a high uptake in the practices for distributing the kete to whānau, with approximately four in five enrolled newborns receiving a kete.    

A recent evaluation of the programme has shown that the regions which have had the highest uptake of kete, have also seen an increase in 6-weeks immunisation rates and that the the kete is highly valued by both patients and practice staff.  

One consumer who provided feedback for the evaluation said she “100% would encourage friends and whānau to enrol their pēpi early and receive their Newborn Welcome Kete”.  Many other mothers spoke very positively of the kete, emphasising how much they appreciated the gifts, especially at a time when finances are tight”, Dr Miriama Ketu-McKenzie says.  

The programme is helping to foster positive relationships between practices and whānau. Feedback from practices highlights the value of offering something free to patients, seen as especially meaningful for first-time mothers, who are often experiencing a period of heightened emotional stress. 

These relationships have the potential to support ongoing patient engagement with primary care and contribute to improved health and immunisation outcomes over time. 

Dr Miriama Ketu-McKenzie says that "...the first phase of the programme has shown great promise with 61% of accepted voucher claims being given to mothers of Māori newborns and improved rates of both Māori and Pacific attendance at the 6-week health check since the programme was launched. We expect rates of early enrolment and 6-week immunisations to grow even further as the second Phase of Kahu Taurima becomes embedded in practice.” 

Find out more about the Newborn Enrolment Kahu Taurima Programme here.