Junior doctor at Middlemore Hospital, Tuipoloa Opetaia Aati is using his mother tongue—Samoan—to break down cultural barriers in medicine to help connect with his patients and better understand their medical needs or diagnosis. He has at least one medical consultation in Samoan a week and is happy he can be a familiar and approachable face for Pasifika coming into the hospital.

For Samoan nursing student Phyllein Pauli Taetafe, it’s learning from the failures in her life that have made her successful.

The President of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) has made a strong statement supporting the need to urgently address chronic inequities in access to specialist health care services in NZ.

Seventy-eight leaders in the business, government and health sectors, tuned into an online seminar to hear the Pasifika Medical Association CEO, Debbie Sorensen, share about the organisation’s experience during crisis and their priorities in a post-Covid 19 world.

For first-time mum Louina Tuipolotu, being pregnant and having a baby during the Covid-19 lockdown period, made her feel extremely anxious.

Six medical scholarships offered to thirteen recipients, with a combined value of $90,000, are providing a head start to Pasifika students pursuing a career in the health sector.

The Pacific community cannot afford to be complacent and must continue to be vigilant as the country moves to Alert Level 2 this Thursday, says a senior physician.

Relief doesn’t even begin to describe how Cook Island mother Rachel Metuangaro and her 15-year-old daughter are feeling this week. After six-weeks of having to under-go strict isolation in Auckland the pair have finally been given the all clear to head back to Rarotonga this weekend.

As the Pasifika Medical Association through Pasifika Futures – the Whānau Ora commissioning agency – continues its workstream transition to support Pacific families, the work around the Covid19 Packages of Support has continued to receive support and recently this was through a grant from the J R McKenzie Trust. The grant will be utilised immediately for further Covid-19 Packages of Support for families outside the Auckland region.

As countries around the world continue to battle the devastation of Covid-19, Samoa remains one of the few nations to be Covid-19 free.

The President of the Pasifika Medical Association Dr Kiki Maoate supports the call by Lawyers for Climate Action to ensure that the Government includes the impact of greenhouse gases and climate change resilience is a core part of the assessment of all post-COVID-19 stimulus spending.

Galumalemana Latafale Auva’a, 26, is an aspiring public sector professional. She left home in Auckland and moved down to Wellington in February this year. It was a career move as part of a graduate programme for one of the major government agencies. She was just settling into her new job and new environment when the Covid-19 pandemic eventually hit New Zealand. This had an impact on her new role and like all government departments there was an immediate response to unite and mobilise resources to face this global crisis.