Hawke’s Bay Ranks Worst Nationally For Child Dental Care Arrears: Tihei Tākitimu Demands ActionHAWKE’S BAY / TE MATAU-A-MĀUI — Kerri Nuku and Lewis Ratapu, Co-Chairs of Tihei Tākitimu, the Iwi-Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) for Hawke’s Bay, are issuing an urgent call to action following the release of the New Zealand Dental Association’s (NZDA) 2026 Oral Health Scorecard this month. The Scorecard reveals severe regional and ethnic inequities, placing Hawke’s Bay at the absolute bottom nationally for timely child dental care, with 52.4% of children overdue for scheduled Community Oral Health Service care - more than five times the national benchmark target of 10% or less. The Co-Chairs say these figures reinforce a structural failure that disproportionately impacts Māori tamariki and whānau. "While pop-up clinics provide critical temporary relief, temporary fixes cannot resolve a systemic crisis," say Nuku and Ratapu. "This scorecard reinforces that we do not need more delay or reports - we need the commitments and recommendations provided months ago to be fully funded and delivered."