Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala former Minister of Health for Tonga was sworn in on Tuesday last week as the new Regional Director for the World Health Organisation (WHO) for Western Pacific.
Dr. Piukala was sworn in at the WHO Executive Board meeting at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. He is the first Pacific Islander to become Regional Director.
In his speech, Dr. Piukala reflected upon his life story and where he came from. “I find it such a blessing that I was once a barefoot boy running around beaches of my small island, and now I stand among public health giants at the World Health Organisation,” he said. “This is proof that no one is really left behind, and despite our different stories, we all have something to contribute.”
Under Dr. Piukala’s leadership, the Organization aims to strengthen health care in the Western Pacific. This will help to address the leading causes of disease and mortality in the Region, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
NCDs, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and chronic respiratory illnesses, together account for nearly nine out of 10 deaths in the Region.
Dr. Piukala was Medical Superintendent of Vaiola Hospital, Tonga’s main referral hospital, in 2014, and worked as a Senior Medical Officer and General Surgeon in Tonga and other Pacific islands including Fiji, Nauru, Niue and Tuvalu from 2003 to 2014.
