My name is Annette Garae and I come from a mixed parentage of Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea (PNG). My father is from the island of Ambae in Vanuatu and my late mum was from the Central Province in PNG.

Our Clinical Data Analyst, Natasha Watson, recently took part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), an immersive, live-in programme designed to foster leadership, teamwork, and communication among emerging young professionals.

PMA Member and Registered Nurse at the Auckland City Hospital, Karaia Teiwaki, shared some reflections in light of Kiribati Language Week.

The Uto Bulabula - Healthy Hearts initiative will return for it’s second year to continue delivering life-saving cardiac surgeries to children across the Pacific, including, for the first time, patients from Tonga.

The Board and leadership team of the Pasifika Medical Association Group strongly and unequivocally refute any allegation of impropriety in our funding, employment, or procurement practices.

The Pasifika Medical Association's (PMA) Ngalu Fānifo Team has returned from their latest deployment, continuing their long-term commitment to strengthening mental healthcare in Vanuatu. The Ngalu Fānifo project is a partnership between PMA and the Australian Government and seeks to improve mental health services and community wellbeing by strengthening the capacity of local health providers, community workers, and systems to deliver culturally anchored, sustainable mental health care.

In recognition of Dietitians Week NZ, we share the story of Finau Taungapea, Director of Health Services and Senior Dietitian at Pacific Trust Otago. Finau’s journey into nutrition and health promotion is deeply personal, sparked by the sudden loss of her father and her commitment to breaking the cycle of poor health in her own family.

A vital step towards improving intensive care across the Pacific was taken in Samoa, where frontline healthcare workers took part in a high-impact training course aimed at enhancing their ability to respond to critical and acute care needs. Delivered under the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS), the two-day Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care (BASIC) course reflects NZMTS’ ongoing commitment to building health workforce capacity in the region through targeted training, clinical upskilling, and system strengthening.

Lilo Dr Oka Sanerivi, physiotherapist, academic, and PMA member, is the first Pacific PhD in Physiotherapy! 💥 For Men’s Health Week, he shares some light-hearted but practical insights, plus a bit of his own journey as a Pacific male in health. He is also a proud member of the Centre for Men’s Health at the University of Otago.

Talofa lava, meet Salima Dr Olataga Alofivae Doorbinnia who hails from Sa'anapu and Apolima. For Samoan Language Week, she shares her background as general practitioner living in Southwestern, Sydney.

PMA Group Board Director, Sir Collin Tukuitonga, delivered his inaugural professorial lecture as a Professor at the University of Auckland, marking a significant milestone in a career dedicated to advancing Pacific health. His appointment also places him as one of two of the world’s only Niuean professors.

The New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS) is dedicated to supporting champions for Pacific health - those who are committed to empowering vulnerable communities, including children and people living with disabilities, and upholding equal access to opportunities and resources.