The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies paediatric congenital and rheumatic heart disease in the Pacific as an urgent and pressing challenge. With access to the necessary medical treatment often hindered by limited resources, an opportunity to save lives through commitment, coordination, and collaboration was realised through the Uto Bulabula — Healthy Hearts initiative.
The collaborative efforts of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Group, through the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS), the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital, and the Hearts4Kids Foundation, with funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), have laid the foundations of the initiative, with the programme supporting successful cardiac surgeries for a total of thirty children.
Debbie Sorensen ONZM, Chief Executive Officer of PMA, speaks to the wider impact of the programme:
“The growth of the Uto Bulabula — Healthy Hearts initiative in its second year is a reflection of what’s possible when we prioritise regional collaboration. This work extends far beyond lifesaving surgeries; it’s about building capacity, sharing expertise, and strengthening systems across the Pacific to ensure our children have access to the care they deserve, now and into the future.”
The most recent mission welcomed 35 volunteer medical specialists from New Zealand and Australia, including paediatric surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, cardiologists, and technicians. The team was led by Dr Kirsten Finucane, former Head of Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery at Starship Hospital, with all surgeries performed at the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital.
Beyond the logistics and coordination required to execute a mission of this scale and significance, the true power of Uto Bulabula lies in its humanity and its service. For many families in the Pacific, years are spent living with the uncertainty of treatment for their child’s heart condition.
Ni-Vanuatu mother Diane James, whose infant daughter Charity was one of the recipients of Uto Bulabula’s care, expressed her heartfelt gratitude.
“To get the news about a programme that helps children like this, it’s a blessing to me. It’s overwhelming. Financially, I couldn’t do this myself to support my daughter in that way, I would have had to fundraise and seek help. But to have her receive this, it’s a blessing.”
Every child who received surgery during this mission made it safely through their operations and recovery and have now returned to their home countries with stronger hearts and a second chance at life.