Happy Youth Week and a special congratulations to one of our very own within the PMA family, Lorenzo Havili, who graduated over the weekend from the University of Otago with his Bachelor of Science. Lorenzo was a recipient of the inaugural Sorensen Scholarship in 2019 which helped support him throughout his studies.

Seini Falefata is a highly experienced nurse who has dedicated her career to providing exceptional service to those in need. Seini is a Registered Nurse at Etu Pasifika Canterbury under the Ngalu Fanifo Mental Health service. She comes with a wealth of knowledge and expertise and has served on multiple emergency response deployments as part of PMA's PACMAT team; most recently part of the psychosocial team deployed to Vanuatu following the impact of cyclones in the region.

Falena Prouting is the Nursing Director at Etu Pasifika Auckland and is committed to serving the Pacific community. Falena makes it a priority to provide culturally sensitive care and support and through her strong commitment to serving others, she hopes to continue building strong relationships and trust with her patients to deliver the best care possible.

Akerita Alatimu is a Nurse at Etu Pasifika Canterbury and is driven by the purpose to serve Pacific communities. Through her role, she is grateful for the opportunity to advocate for her patients and providing the best care possible.

Melania Watta is a Nurse at Etu Pasifika Auckland and finds that it is a career she enjoys due to her love for helping people. Melania started working with Etu Pasifika Auckland this year and is grateful for the opportunity to serve Pasifika communities and looks forward to learning and growing in her role as a nurse.

This week marks the first of the Pacific Language Weeks for 2023; this being Rotuman Language Week. PMA Member and ACEM Trainee Registrar, Dr Terry Fesaitu, is a proud Rotuman and is grateful to have been raised speaking the language and with Rotuman cultural values.

Public Health expert and Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Group Board Director, Sir Collin Tukuitonga, says measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates for Pacific communities is concerning and needs to be a priority, following the emergence of two positive cases of measles in Auckland.

The Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) is pleased to announce the launch of its annual Pacific Health Education Scholarships, aimed at supporting students pursuing careers in health-related fields as well as medical professionals currently practicing in their respective area of work. There are 11 scholarships available to be awarded to 19 individuals, including the addition of two new scholarships, the Elizabeth Powell Nursing Scholarship and the Dr Sitaleki Finau Scholarship.

The Pasifika Medical Association Group (PMA) has deployed a medical team to Tonga as part of the New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme (NZMTS), funded by the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). The team is made up of two Cardiac Physiologists, a Cardiologist and a Cardiac nurse. As part of the deployment, the implantation of new pacemakers will be performed – the first time this will take place in Tonga.

The Pasifika Medical Association's (PMA) Medical Assistance team (PACMAT) have completed their 28 day mission in Vanuatu, supporting communities affected by tropical Cyclone Kevin and Judy. Throughout the deployment, the PACMAT team travelled to 13 different locations and offered psychosocial, mental health and primary care support to 1,144 individuals. The mission was supported by the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). 

The Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) is celebrating 27 years of successful navigation in 2023 and is proud to collaborate with Te Marae Ora Cook Islands Ministry of Health to host this year’s PMA Conference in the Cook Islands.

Last week the Pasifika Medical Association's (PMA) Medical Assistance team (PACMAT), in partnership with the Vanuatu medical assistance team (VANMAT), travelled to Futuna and Aniwa in the Tafea province to provide primary care, mental health, dental, physiotherapy and ENT (ear, nose and throat) support to local communities. They travelled on the HELPR-1 response vessel, supported by Respond Global.