HM King Tupou VI (centre) with, from left, Richard Prema,  Dr 'Ana Koloto, Alan Bowe and Neil Underhill.

The Coronation Charity Trust, established by the late King George Tupou V, today formally approved a contract for the USP Tonga Campus to carry out a survey on the status of diabetes among Tongan youth between the ages of 14-25.

In a meeting this morning at the Royal Palace, chaired by HM Tupou VI, the director of the University of the South Pacific Tonga Campus, Dr 'Ana Koloto, briefed members of the Trust of a pilot survey that the USP had carried out in Tongatapu, Ha'apai and 'Eua.

She said that following the Pilot Survey, they were ready to carry out a survey on 1100 youths through a Fono Consultation. Half of the number consulted will be from families with diabetes, and the other half will be from families with no diabetes.

A final report of the survey was expected to be presented to the Coronation Charity Trust in March 2013.

King Tupou VI said that he inherited a number of things from his brother, the late King George Tupou V, and one of them was the Coronation Charity Trust, which his late majesty was interested in setting it up to find ways to counter non communicable diseases such as diabetes. Stem cells research was an area that the late king was interested in, as a possible mean of treating diabetes.

The king said that for Tonga to counter diabetes we had to look beyond ourselves and to the youth, to our young children. He stressed that a productive society could be achieved if Tonga has a healthy population.

The trustees of the Coronation Charity Trust are Princess Pilolevu Tuita, Princess Siu'ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili, David Dunkley, Richard Prema, Allan Bow and Neil Underhill.