Being deeply rooted in your culture and being proud to be from the Pacific is how Niue youth and Pasifika Medical Association Communications Advisor, Hele Ikimotu, describes success.

Tributes are flowing in with the sudden passing of Tauranga based Orthopaedic Surgeon and Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) member Dr Andrew MacDiarmid.

The Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) welcomes the decision by Government to outline a pathway for Aotearoa to move towards a Covid-19 Protection Framework. We note the intention to shift to the new framework when DHBs reach 90% full vaccination. This will be important to allow Pacific communities to plan with some certainty.

Pasifika Futures’ (PFL) Ngalu Fānifo mental health segment on 531 P.I completed its third show last week with Dr Siale Foliaki, offering extended insights from the previous show on stress and anxiety.

DJ Tuaru Temu tears up when he thinks how many Pasifika high school students are working full time to support their families who’ve lost income due to Covid-19.

The Ngalu Fānifo mental health segment, completed its second show last week with Dr Siale Foliaki addressing a couple of key mental health concerns that we all face in our day to day lives which have been compounded during the current Alert Level restrictions: Stress and anxiety.

The Fijian and Rotuman community in Auckland are intensifying their fight against Covid with their community’s vaccination drive which started yesterday and continues today and tomorrow at the Māngere Centre Park in Favona.

In a recent talanoa on 531 Pacific Mornings radio show, Pasifika Futures (PFL) – the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families – CEO Mrs Debbie Sorensen reassured Pacific families across the country that their wide range of support is still available and accessible for all who need immediate or interim assistance.

Regardless of recent government announcements around changes with Alert Level restrictions for various regions, the demand from Pacific families for support continues to grow and so Pasifika Futures (PFL) – the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families – will continue to respond to these needs.

The communication of Covid-19 messaging in Pacific languages is key to helping people better understand the virus, says a Tuvalu community leader.

As part of the recent wave of ethnic vaccinations – Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati are uniting for a vaccination drive for their respective communities that continues today at 40 Kirrie Avenue, Te Atatu South.

“Amongst the areas that Pasifika people live and thrive in, I think mental health is growing and I think the need is slowly being met, but I think we’ve still got a way to go. The Ngalu Fānifo initiative helps break a few of those barriers”, says Samoan psychiatry registrar and PMA member Dr Christmas Seu, when sharing on NiuFM about the Ngalu Fānifo segment that will debut tomorrow on Pacific Media Networks (PMN) – 531 PI Pacific Days Show.