He Mutunga Kore | National Mortality Review Committee
The National Mortality Review Committee has been gifted a te reo Māori name, ‘He Mutunga Kore. Ka po, ka ao, ka awatea.'
The te reo Māori name came about at the request of the committee. A group made of of staff, Te Kāhui Piringa (Te Tāhū Hauora Māori advisory group) and independent membership gathered to discuss and agree on an appropriate name.
He Mutunga Kore
He Mutunga Kore provides the base context of the National Mortality Review Committee. The name provides a stance where there is no end to the fight for equity, no end to challenging the gaps in the health system for ongoing improvements, there is no end to remembering our loved ones whom we have lost too early, there is no end to reflection and learning. He Mutunga Kore is a name, it is context, it is a stance, and it is a responsibility.
He Mutunga Kore speaks to the eternal nature of our existence through mauri and wairua. The inherent imperative to remember from whence we have come is embodied in our transference of whakapapa, and the speaking of the names and the stories of those that have gone before us so that they live on in our consciousness. He Mutunga Kore means that those names and stories will be accorded the mana they deserve in all our deliberations and recommendations
Ka pō, ka ao, ka awtea
‘Ka pō, ka ao, ka awatea’ – which translates to ‘from within the darkness comes light and a new day’ – acts as a subtitle to He Mutunga Kore.
Ka pō, ka ao, ka awatea refers to the key thresholds of life – from the darkness, in the waters of our mothers, and born into a domain of light and sensory perception. As we journey through life and learn, we move from a state of opportunity (Ka Pō) to a state of clarity (Ka Ao) and insightful wisdom (Ka Awatea). This cycle happens continuously throughout our lives and blueprints the process of development. As such, it is our responsibility to review data and information of those who have passed, to listen to the voices of their whānau, analyse the information so that it shines the light, and provide surveillance by presenting the information to effect new change.
He Mutunga Kore. Ka pō, ka ao, ka awatea
The context of ‘He Mutunga Kore: Ka pō, ka ao, ka awatea’ interweaves into the committee’s mission statement with action-based values. Together, the name and values provide a foundation and the direction for the committee’s approach to reducing avoidable mortality.
He Mutunga Kore encompasses the responsibility to:
- Involve people through mahi whānau
- Inquire into what has been done, and what can be done, through mahi pākiki
- Inform in a respectful and compassionate yet challenging way through mahi manaaki
- Influence through mahi tika to ensure we do the right thing to understand avoidable death
- and Improve the process of understanding through mahi tahi.
Published: 6 May 2025
Modified: 8 May 2025
