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Health Health

affect Pacific people here in New Zealand but also in the families was not as prompt as other New Zealand families.
islands. We have nominated four priority areas – climate “You will remember in August last year, an outbreak
change and health, chronic non-communicable diseases like commenced in the Assemblies of God Church out in Mangere.
diabetes and heart disease, outbreaks like COVID-19, and We looked at the spread of that outbreak – who was affected,
children and young people. when and by who, and how quickly was contact tracing
“The second part of the centre is to create an environment completed. So that’s the study that’s been completed and
for young people who want a career in health research. We again the results are being sorted as we speak.
offer scholarships to provide support and offer training to “The findings from those studies will then be used to try
young people. So it has a dual purpose if you like.” to improve services,” says Tukuitonga. “For example, going
Tukuitonga says climate work is already planned. “We have back to the mental health studies in Samoa. Mental health
a project already funded by the Wellcome Trust from the services in the islands, by and large, are not well funded. So
UK studying the effects of heat on health and well-being, one of the things we hope to get from the studies to show
on sleep patterns and on a whole range of health measures. the government and the minister of health for example,
People in the islands are used to living in a really warm what type of mental health problems are common and more
environment, however excessive heat can have a negative importantly, what they need to do to respond to those mental
impact on health.” health concerns.”
Another project is looking at mental health concerns in Similarly, with the COVID-19 study in New Zealand, the
Polynesian countries. analysis will consider what part of the pandemic response
“We just started in Samoa, and we are going to Tonga next. worked well, what concerned the families the most, how
The idea is to find out what are the prevailing mental health quickly did they get access to medical care, did they have
concerns in the islands and the results of the study will be concerns that were not addressed, how quickly were they
used to develop appropriate mental health responses in the able to secure additional social support such as food parcels
countries,” Tukuitonga says. and support for their families. The results will then be used to
In Samoa, just shy of 600 residents were interviewed improve service delivery.
about their mental health concerns, things like anxiety and
depression. Tukuitonga expects the data analysis from that Better data means a better response
work to take several months. “In New Zealand, health officials seem to think that all
Pacific Islanders are the same,” says Tukuitonga. “They
Governance and support have very little understanding that even within the Fijian
The University of Auckland has invested NZ$1 million in the community, for example, there are indigenous Kaiviti, there’s
centre. Indo-Fijians and there’s Kailoma. So lumping all Pacific
“We have received funding from the University of Auckland Islanders together doesn’t help us in designing a service
for five years but obviously that’s to just get us started and response. The Samoans have particular needs, and you explain
we are on our own after that. Like a lot of these things, we those in their own languages. You can’t design a service for
will have to find the money ourselves to continue the work,” a whole population if you don’t fully understand what their
Tukuitonga says. needs are.”
The name Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa was gifted to the centre’s The centre will also partner with other organisations and
founders by their colleagues from the Māori Education experts, such as The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ to look
Faculty. Poutoko means leadership or to lead or a leader. Ora at preventable blindness in the region. The centre already
refers to health and well-being, and kiwa is the connection to has a memorandum with FNU (Fiji National University) to
the Pacific Ocean - Māori call it Te Moana nui a Kiwa. collaborate on research and is looking to similar arrangements
So Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa means to lead in health and well- with the Samoan National University and the University of the
being in the Pacific. South Pacific.
Having just opened, it only has a handful of employees right “There’s lots of ideas and solutions everywhere and our
now, and a governing council chaired by Sir Ashley Bloomfield, centre is bringing ideas together and testing them in a robust
who was until very recently, the New Zealand Director- way,” says Dr Roannie Ng Shiu. “We are also trying to develop
General of health. the future leaders for Pacific health and Pacific research.
“We also have people from the islands, Lord Viliame Tangi “It’s not just about bringing people here to New Zealand
from Tonga, for example. So it’s a combination of people from but getting our Pacific people who live in New Zealand back to
within NZ and from the Pacific region,” Tukuitonga says. the region and using their skills to help develop and support
whatever else is required in the region. It’s about bringing
Projects in Aotearoa the partnerships together and just seeing how together as a
“We have three studies, one completed and two underway collective we can improve the health and well-being of our
on the impacts of COVID-19 —how did COVID-19 impact the populations.”
Pacific communities and their families,” says Tukuitonga.
“One of the studies we have completed is looking at COVID-19 editor@islandsbusiness.com
and contact tracing. We found that contact tracing in Pacific

Islands Business, April 2023 25