Gout has not been “outed” in the media but it needs to be! A form of Arthritis, the illness is incredibly painful and debilitating. New Zealand has one of the highest Gout rates in the world while Māori and Pasifika men have the highest rates nationwide.

The Minister of Māori Affairs Dr Pita Sharples attended a graduation ceremony in Tāmaki Makaurau in October 2013.

“Gout has a huge impact on the health of Māori and Pasifika men – stopping them from sport, work and enjoying a high quality of life,” said Dr Sharples.

Caused by high levels of uric acid in our bodies, whakapapa and environmental conditions mean Māori and Pasifika men are most at risk. The Polynesian genetic predisposition stretches back millennia.

"Environmentally, the fact we eat 50 times more sugar than our tipuna did 300-years ago also plays a huge role.

People afflicted by Gout are known to weigh up carefully whether a bowl of kina is worth the pain that follows shortly after!"

While it is associated with other chronic conditions such as Type II Diabetes, Cardiovascular and Kidney failure: if untreated Gout can lead to other illnesses.

The challenge facing Māori men and families is to become aware and understand how to diagnose and treat Gout amongst their own communities. A Whānau Ora approach to Community Gout Education is already underway across the motu with courses training “Gout Champions” whose role is to help ensure whānau are enabled, empowered and motivated to manage this illness.

To find out more about Gout and to get in touch with a Gout Champion in your rohe, please go to the Arthritis Foundation’s website: http://www.arthritis.org.nz/what-is-arthritis/forms-of-arthritis/.