Abstract
Maori, like Indigenous Australians and other indigenous people world-wide, are simultaneously over-represented among those presenting with addiction-related problems and under-represented within various health professions. Providing the opportunity for individuals and whanau (family/extended family) to work with ethnically matched health workers is likely to increase service accessibility and to improve treatment outcomes. In New Zealand, a number of initiatives have been instigated to increase the capacity of the Maori health work-force and reduce related barriers to treatment. This article provides an analysis of relevant literature and policy documents, and identifies five strategic imperatives currently informing work-force development in the Maori alcohol and other drug (AOD) and gambling treatment sector. [Robertson PJ, Haitana TN, Pitama SG, Huriwai TT. A review of work-force development literature for the Maori addiction treatment field in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Drug Alcohol Rev 2006;25:233 – 239]