Aotearoa loses 'extraordinary and devoted' health leader Dame Karen Poutasi

Aotearoa New Zealand has lost one of its most influential public health leaders with the passing of Dame Karen Poutasi, who died on 1 January 2026 at the age of 76.

Poutasi also held strong personal connections to the Pacific. She was married to Reverend Samuelu Fa'apoi Poutasi, linking her to Sāmoan communities through her family and whānau.

Her work across health and education systems had a lasting impact on Pacific people in Aotearoa, particularly through her emphasis on equity, access and cultural safety.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says Poutasi was a woman of deep care and conviction, whose leadership left a lasting impact on communities across the country.

“Dame Karen was an extraordinary woman who led from the front. She was principled, devoted and deeply committed to the health and welfare of people and communities,” Nuku says.

She says Poutasi’s decades-long commitment to closing the health equity gap, particularly for Māori and Pacific people, will remain a defining part of her legacy.

Poutasi’s career spanned more than 30 years in public service, during which she held some of the most senior leadership roles in New Zealand.

She was the first female Director-General of Health, serving from 1995 to 2006, where she guided major public health reforms and led the implementation of the Cartwright Inquiry recommendations and the nation’s early response to HIV/AIDS.

She later served as chief executive of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority for 14 years, overseeing national education quality assurance affecting thousands of learners, including Pacific students.

Dame Karen Poutasi is pictured here, front row, centre, with the Health NZ Pacific Health Directorate. Photo/Mataloa Eleanor Barlow Facebook

Poutasi also served as Chancellor of the University of Auckland from 2016 to 2020, and held a range of governance roles across the health sector, including as chair of the Health Promotion Agency and Pharmacy Council, and as a board member of the Health Research Council and Health Workforce New Zealand.

In later years, she was seconded as Commissioner of the Waikato District Health Board, joined the Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand board at its inception, and was appointed chair in 2023 before resigning in April 2024.

Health Minister Simeon Brown says Poutasi brought a wealth of public health expertise to all her roles and leaves “a strong legacy of work to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders.”

Poutasi's public service legacy also includes governance oversight of the Covid-19 vaccination programme and leadership in responding to major public health challenges.

She was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2006 and later made a Dame Companion in 2020 for services to education and the state.

Her influence extended beyond institutions to impact policy on child protection, health equity and public service standards that some say will continue to shape Aotearoa for years to come.

Dame Karen Poutasi is remembered as a servant-leader whose values, compassion and commitment to justice shaped generations of public servants and health professionals, and whose legacy will endure across Aotearoa.