Registrations for the PMA Conference are now open! Click here for more information.

NZMTS: Pacific Emergency Maternal and Neonatal Training seeks to empower Pacific health workforce
Updates / News, 16 Oct 24
Despite global advancements in healthcare, maternal mortality and neonatal deaths remain significant concerns in many Pacific countries. The region faces unique challenges in accessing healthcare infrastructure, particularly in remote areas, resulting in maternal and newborn fatalities, which are often preventable.

 In response to these disparities, the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Group is committed to improving equitable access to maternal and neonatal healthcare throughout the Pacific. A prime example of this dedication is the recent delivery of the Pacific Emergency Maternal and Neonatal Training (PEMNeT) program in Tonga and Kiribati, through the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS). The NZMTS, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and coordinated by the PMA, focuses on building local healthcare capacity and improving systems to better serve Pacific communities. 

PEMNeT was delivered by a team of specialists led by Dr. Sharron Bolitho, an obstetrician and gynecologist with a deep passion for maternal care, alongside Dr. Rebecca Mitchell, an obstetrician and gynecologist with extensive experience in capacity-building initiatives across the Pacific, Dr. Ulai Tapasafo Fidow, an obstetrician and gynecologist based in Samoa, and seasoned midwives, Ms. Logomai Valaau from Samoa and Ms. Litiana Tatukivei from Fiji. 

PEMNeT, launched in 2016, is a hands-on obstetric emergency training program developed to address preventable maternal and neonatal deaths, including in remote and scarcely resourced areas. The team successfully completed an intensive week of hands-on training in Tonga from September 2-6,  preceded by a 'Train the Trainers' course delivered by the PEMNeT faculty in Kiribati from July 22-26.  

The journey of PEMNeT, a program designed to provide practical, hands-on obstetric emergency training, was first launched in 2016, beginning with a desire to address preventable maternal and neonatal deaths across the Pacific. 

Growing up influenced by her father’s connections to Tuvalu and Kiribati, and later working closely with Fijian medical professionals, Dr. Bolitho shares where her own story with the region and PEMNeT began. 

“I was on the faculty for the inaugural PEMNeT Facilitator Training in Auckland back in 2016. I was then appointed as lead for Facilitator Training in 2018 and started our editorial committee. 

“Prior to the recent trips to Kiribati and Tonga, I have run PEMNeT Activities in Kiribati, Kiritimati, Vanuatu - Port Vila, Tanna, Tonga, Samoa, and Aotearoa. Many of these activities have been supported by the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme.” 

Through the NZMTS priority of support and strengthening health workforce capacity through training and the development of systems and protocols, the PMA is proud to work in collaboration with the PEMNeT delivery team. This work aligns with PMA’s foundational objective of improved healthcare outcomes, improved access to essential medical treatment and specialist medical care, and improved capability of Pacific health services. 

Dr. Bolitho and her team have traveled extensively across Pacific nations, empowering local health professionals with the skills needed to run PEMNeT programs independently. This localised empowerment allows teams to adapt the programme to their unique cultural and community needs, ensuring long-term sustainability. 

Dr. Bolitho reflects on her time working with the local health workforce in the region. 

“My experience in Kiribati, Tonga, and other Pacific Island countries has been that my Pacific colleagues care deeply about their communities and are highly motivated to improve the health of their communities. It gives me huge satisfaction to be able to offer an effective programme, which has the potential to improve outcomes for mothers and babies, and to have the local teams value this programme and engage with such enthusiasm.” 

Dr Ioanna Beiatau, Head of the Obstetric and Gynaecology unit at Tungaru Central Hospital, Kiribati, was one of the cohort of the PEMNeT Train the Trainers Program and speaks on its value of the initiative. 

"The teams invitation was based on the high rates in maternal and neonatal death in the country. This is proof that training provided by PEMNeT is crucial. Labour staff were targeted so that they could be upskilled. The total number of participants here trained were nine facilitators and thirty two participants." 

"The ongoing visiting support is crucial to support the local team and to ensure that the training is continuing, timely and effective, as a major problem in Kiribati is the shortage of midwives and obstetricians, in general and for the roll out program. So I would  request again for the ongoing support from the PEMNeT team. Especially to our isolated and remote areas. I thank again the PMA for the support in reducing maternal and perinatal death in Kiribati."