Dr Eta Raicebe is one example, an iTaukei woman from Sawani, Naitasiri with maternal ties to Ono-i-Lau in the Lau group. Dr Raicebe recently returned to Fiji under the Visiting Medical Teams component of the NZMTS. Now based in Australia and working as a Child Development Paediatrician, Dr Raicebe’s return marks a significant milestone, driven by her enduring connection to home and contributing meaningfully to her country.
“I was born in Suva, Fiji and left to commence medical school at Otago University. I am a proud mother of 2 young men.
“My journey into medical school and later Paediatrics were 'divine accidents' rather than something I had aspired to from childhood. However, I was interested in science and wanted to contribute meaningfully to enabling people live their best lives and realised that this means starting well in life so it made sense to specialise in Paediatrics.”
She shares how the goal of her deployment was centred on building the local capacity and training paediatricians in Fiji, particularly in enhancing their clinical skills in child development and neurodevelopmental conditions, an area of concern that is still in its infancy in Fiji and the Pacific.
“Growing up in Fiji meant that I felt rooted to its way of life from the matavuvale (nuclear to extended family) and later the vanua, so I have always felt compelled to give back in some way, especially after working in Colonial War Memorial Hospital in my earlier years.
"Being part of the Pacific Paediatric Association has led to opportunities to travel and contribute to Paediatrics in the Pacific generally, and now more specifically in the Child Development space.”
Dr Raicebe speaks to the urgency of this issue.
“We know that globally, 43% of children living in low and middle income countries are not meeting their developmental potential. We are late in detecting, providing intervention and services in those critical early years.”
Over the course of her visit, Dr Raicebe worked alongside local teams to conduct clinics across Fiji’s three major hospitals; the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva, Aspen Lautoka Hospital, and Labasa Hospital in Vanua Levu.
This outreach marked the first time a Developmental Paediatrician had ever travelled to Labasa to run clinics. A total of 25 consultations were conducted during the visit, with local teams observing sessions delivered in both iTaukei and English to ensure culturally grounded communication. Dr Eta and the team focused on the First 1000 Days, cerebral palsy management, and inclusive practices, engaging paediatricians, registrars, nurses, and medical students.
The visit also included advocacy for inclusive education during school visits in Lautoka and Labasa, where teams discussed challenges such as late identification of developmental delays, limited classroom support, and the need for stronger collaboration between health and education services. Six formal clinical assessments were also completed with postgraduate students from Nauru, Tonga, and Fiji.
“One of the many highlights of this deployment was being able to speak in the common Bau dialect to communicate and assist iTaukei families understand their children better, especially those who had neurodevelopmental conditions and could be commonly misunderstood.
“Another highlight was having the opportunity to meet the principals, teacher and workers at the local special schools with the local Paediatric teams to build on this important aspect of local collaboration for the benefit of the children and young people under their collective care.”
The NZMTS, which is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and coordinated by the Pasifika Medical Association Group, is committed to continuing to work with champions like Dr Raicebe, in creating opportunities that support equitable access to healthcare and stronger health systems for the Pacific.