College of GPs’ Honorary Fellowship celebrates enduring contribution to health care

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) has awarded an Honorary Fellowship to Professor Paparaangi Reid (Te Rarawa) for her unwavering dedication to advancing Hauora Māori through academia, leadership, education and advocacy at its annual Fellowship and Awards ceremony in Auckland on Saturday 1 August.

Honorary Fellowship of the College is awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to general practice or the wider medical profession.

College President Dr Luke Bradford says, “Honorary Fellowship recognises exceptional individuals whose contribution has enriched general practice and health care in Aotearoa New Zealand. This honour acknowledges leadership, vision and service that has influenced our profession and wider sector for the better. Through her work, Professor Reid has helped advance the values, knowledge, and impact of primary care in Aotearoa New Zealand and we are delighted to have her as an Honorary Fellow of our College.”

Professor Papaarangi Reid

Professor Papaarangi Reid (Te Rarawa) is a nationally and internationally respected leader whose career has had a profound and enduring impact on Māori health, medical education, and equity in Aotearoa. Through her roles in academic leadership and research, she has expanded pathways for Māori into medicine, advocating for the Māori medical workforce and supporting generations of clinicians in general practice and rural health.

Her research has been instrumental in exposing and quantifying health inequities, providing an evidence base that has shaped health policy, service design, and accountability across the system. She has championed cultural safety in medical education, ensuring responsibility for equitable care sits across institutions and the workforce.

Her leadership in national and international forums, including Māori-led pandemic response, has demonstrated the power of Indigenous approaches to health. Through research, teaching, and advocacy, Professor Reid has advanced lasting change in both practice and policy, embodying the College’s commitment to equity, partnership, and excellence.

You can find the full list of 2026 award recipients on the College website: Awards | RNZCGP