From providing sewing machines to women in Samoan villages so they can earn money to advocating for Pacific women at the United Nations. These are some of the many causes Tofilau Bernadette Pereira has championed throughout her life, which was recognised at this year’s Queen’s birthday honours, for her services to women and the Pacific community.

International evidence suggests it is helpful for a nation’s health workforce to mirror the diversity in the population of its communities. The global literature is unequivocal that concordance between the health care provider and user (patient) improves patient outcomes. Health care users (patients) also report positive experiences of their interactions with health care providers of the same ethnic origin. It is not difficult to conclude that better health outcomes will reduce ethnic inequities in health that has been a chronic feature of the NZ health care system. Ultimately, better health outcomes for those who have high health needs is good for the nation as a whole.

As the country moves to Alert Level One the Pasifika Medical Association through Pasifika Futures – the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families, reflects on the colossal effort from Covid 19 Support Partners who tirelessly worked throughout all the Alert levels to serve our most vulnerable Pacific families.

As a 13-year-old, Simione Tagicakibau helped care for his fragile and ill grandmother in his homeland of Fiji. Now at 35, that experience as a teenager continues to inspire Simione in his nursing career and fuels his passion to care for the Pasifika community.

Twenty-six-year-old medical student Supilate Mikaele is the recipient of the Pasifika Medical Association’s Dr Leopino Foliaki University of Auckland Scholarship.

The Pacific community can be applauded for complying with strict funeral limitations during Covid-19 and embracing new ways to farewell our loved ones, says leading funeral director Francis Tipene.

After graduating from a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) at the University of Otago School of Medicine in December 2019, twenty-six-year-old David Nair has been working as a first-year health surgeon at Christchurch Hospital.

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.