A study led by Massey University to look at the barriers to self-management of asthma in Pacific children has been awarded $971,541 by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Pacific people are three times more likely to be hospitalised with asthma than Europeans or other New Zealanders, said Principal Investigator Dr Sunia Foliaki.
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Results for Pacific
Thursday 16 July 2020
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Palmerston North, New Zealand

Friday 3 July 2020
Bonn, Germany
Oceania has been ranked second in the world for e-waste generation per person at 16.1kg per capita, behind Europe with 16.2kg, according to the Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report released today. Tonga is reported to have generated 0.3 kt of e-waste in 2019, which amounts to 3.3kg per person. E-waste generation worldwide has increased by 21 per cent in just five years.
Thursday 18 June 2020
Auckland, New Zealand
A plan to improve the health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s growing Pacific population was launched by Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa on 13 June.
Thursday 11 June 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s national rugby league men’s team will be based in Liverpool and St Helens during the Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) next year announced the tournament organisers today.

Wednesday 10 June 2020
Suva, Fiji
Professor Derrick Armstrong has been appointed to act as University of the South Pacific Vice-Chancellor and President, the university announced yesterday, while an independent investigation is held into into alleged material misconduct of the suspended USP VC and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia.
Tuesday 9 June 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Around 48% of businesses surveyed in Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, expect to start returning to business as usual in 2021 or later, according to the Pacific Trade Investment (PTI). Meanwhile 50% of businesses surveyed in Tonga are confident of surviving after CoViD-19.

Thursday 4 June 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Australian Government is supporting an initiative to ensure humanitarian and medical supplies are delivered to Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, to mitigate the impacts of CoViD-19.

Friday 29 May 2020
Auckland, New Zealand
Samoan citizens stuck in New Zealand can now return to Samoa as the first of a series of repatriation flights departed Auckland to Apia today, 29 May.
Friday 29 May 2020
Honiara, Solomon Islands
The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) is calling for collective action to focus on people, not just technology, in efforts to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing. FA Director General, Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen an international forum last week, said it is people who commit fisheries offences, not vessels.
Monday 25 May 2020
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Auckland, New Zealand
Air New Zealand services to Tonga and other Pacific countries such as Fiji, Samoa, Rarotonga, New Caledonia and French Polynesia, could resume to one return service from Auckland per week, if the travel restrictions currently in place around passenger services are lifted, the airline announced today.

Friday 8 May 2020
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Suva, Fiji
A Pacific tourism report on the CoViD-19 impact and recovery in the region projected NZD$3.1 billion losses if there were no tourists visiting seven Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, over a 12-month period.

Friday 8 May 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The third CoViD-19 testing machine, GeneXpert, and testing cartridges have arrived in Tonga and were cleared last night and kept at the Ministry of Health laboratory said Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola today, 8 May.
Friday 8 May 2020
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Suva, Fiji
CoViD-19 information for people throughout the Pacific is being compiled by a new FSPI website that provides links to relevant articles on the virus.

Monday 27 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tongan Navy bid farewell to the VOEA Pangai navy patrol boat on 23 April after almost 30 years of service, operating within Tonga and internationally.

Friday 24 April 2020
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Washington, USA
Overseas remittances are predicted to fall by 13 percent in the East Asia and Pacific region this year affecting countries such as Tonga, due to the economic crisis caused by CoViD-19, according to the World Bank. Migrant remittances to Tonga in 2019 made up 37.6 percent as a share of GDP.

Saturday 11 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs has this week announced NZ$4 million to the Government of Tonga in general budget support. This is in addition to NZ$100,000 previously provided and another NZ$1 million to be given to Tonga’s Ministry of Health to support implementing its CoViD-19 prevention plan.

Friday 3 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga is one of 18 countries in the world that is CoViD-19 free as of today, 3 April, and 10 of these countries are located in the Pacific region.

Thursday 19 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
All secondary schools in Tonga will add an extra hour to their daily timetable to prepare for a possible school shutdown, amid the COVID-19 global outbreak, the Minister for Education and Training, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni said today, 19 March. The Secondary Schools Inter-college Sports event due to be held in April has been postponed to November.

Wednesday 18 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Virgin Australia airline has temporarily suspended all international services and further cuts to their domestic network until 14 June 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Air New Zealand also announced cutting back on flights to the Pacific including Tonga between April and June.

Friday 13 March 2020
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London, UK
Sagufta Salma, from Fiji, has won a regional Commonwealth Youth Award and a £3,000 grant for her enterprise in turning waste material into sustainable furniture and home accessories. The awards were presented in London this week.
