Oceania Academy Pacific Group
Summary from Oceania Pacific Group from our Transforming Care across Oceans conference
The 13th Biennial Oceania Academy Conference was held on 4-7th March in Hobart, Tasmania. It was a great pleasure for the Oceania Academy and our Pacific group to welcome Dr Ilisapeci Vereti Tuibeqa, Lead Paediatrician in Fiji and President of the Paediatric Pacific Association (PPA), alongside Dr Susan Woolfenden, as our Presidential Guest Lecturers.
The Pacific Paediatric Association works collaboratively to improve the health and wellbeing of children across the Pacific Islands. In their powerful Presidential addresses, Dr Ilisapeci and Dr Sue reminded us that Transforming Care Across Oceans requires recognition of local expertise, strong and respectful relationships, a deep understanding of local culture and context, and most importantly collaboration driven by priorities identified in‑country by families, clinicians, and stakeholders.
Their reflections highlighted the critical role of Pacific leadership, strong child health systems, and equitable partnerships in advancing care for children across the region.
Key messages from the Presidential Addresses included:
- Pacific communities support children with disability through deep cultural knowledge, strong family and community networks, and local leadership, often within health systems that operate with more limited resources and service options.
- Culturally grounded approaches to care are essential across Oceania, supported by equitable partnerships that strengthen systems for children with cerebral palsy and other childhood‑onset disabilities.
- Early identification and intervention are vital, with equitable access shaped by environmental barriers, workforce sustainability, and service availability across diverse Pacific contexts.
- Low‑ and middle‑income country contexts can model efficient, high‑value care, demonstrating that efficiency and quality are not mutually exclusive.
- Working within resource‑constrained settings sharpens focus on what matters most in clinical practice, including functional outcomes, family priorities, and meaningful impact.
- Over‑medicalization and excessive investigation are common pitfalls in high‑income settings, highlighting the value of approaches that rely less on lengthy formal assessments and more on clinical judgement and contextual understanding.
- Collaborative work reflects the principles of WHO Global Health Partnerships, including mutual accountability, shared learning, and respect for local expertise.
Dr Ilisapeci and Dr Sue were also joined in a panel discussion by Fijian paediatricians Dr Kelera Naulumatua, Dr Asena Tuiketei, Dr Eta Raicebe, and Dr Miri Tukana‑Thaggard. Together, they shared rich clinical insights alongside cultural and community perspectives on working with Pacific children and their families. The discussion was both thought‑provoking and challenging, encouraging reflection on our own roles in promoting healthcare equity and strengthening service delivery across Oceania.
These themes were further reinforced during a breakfast session, Reimagining Global Health Research, Care and Systems Beyond Borders, which highlighted parent and service‑provider perspectives on persistent challenges in accessing and delivering equitable assistive technology and therapy services across the Pacific.
We look forward to continuing to learn from one another as we work together to enhance the future of child health and disability care across Oceania. Keep an eye out for an upcoming Listening and Sharing session on this topic on the Wednesday 26th August at 12 AEST.
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Mapping “Who comes into the Pacific Islands”
We want to know of people, organisations, and services that provide health care, support, therapy, resources and aid to people who live in the Pacific Islands with disabilities.
Why? We want to help bring people together, develop relationships and ongoing networking, share ideas and resources.
Please send an email with as much information as you can to Sue Donnell at altusrt@gmail.com including:
Name:
Email:
- Name of Group/Organisation/Individual
- Key Contact Person/People
- Key Contact email
- Location of base e.g., based in NZ, Australia
- Where does the organisation work in the Pacific?
- What do they do?
- What age group do they work with?
- What disabilities do they focus on?
- Do they know of others working with people groups in the Pacific Islands? If so please provide contact details.
- This work is being conducted in collaboration with Altus Resource Trust
