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.

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.