An inaugural lecture delivered by EIT’s recently appointed Research Professor Dr David Tipene-Leach attracted a wide mixed audience.

Professor of Māori and Indigenous Research at EIT, David is widely known for his work in preventing Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI).

However, not all in the audience of health professionals, academics and general public attending the lecture were aware that his initiative in developing the wahakura woven flax bassinet had resulted in a wider Safe Sleep programme that saw a 30 percent reduction in the SUDI mortality rate among infants over the last six years.

David’s presentation had a wide reach – 110 attended the lecture, 360 viewed EIT’s live stream and 1400 clicked onto the video within a week of it being posted on EIT’s Facebook.

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Health Science, Professor Nat Waran says the lecture was a scene-setter for new research being undertaken by EIT academics to address Māori health inequalities.

“These researchers have adopted the approach developed through the wahakura story, which encompasses relevant Māori cultural practice and traditions.”

Further public lectures in EIT’s Expert Series will be delivered this year by Professor Waran and Emeritus Professor Roger Maaka.