A new website dedicated to providing information on Covid-19 for Pacific communities across New Zealand was launched last week.
Prepare Pacific logo Photo: Prepare Pacific
Prepare Pacific was supported by District Health Boards in Northland and Auckland as well as the Ministry of Health and The Cause Collective, which was a Pacific social change agency.
It aimed to provide up-to-date, relevant information that supported the fight against Coronavirus from Pacific perspectives.
Counties Manukau Chief Executive, Fepulea'i Margie Apa, said Pacific people were faced with many mixed messages about Covid-19, and the website would assist them in finding what they need to know in one place.
Pacific Regional Response from the Northern Region Health Co-ordination Centre, Meg Poutasi, said it was relatable, visual and addressed insights that communities signalled were their most pressing concerns.
"Take the talanoa [talk] with Dr. Api videos - we wanted to have a Pacific doctor who can relay the information in a clear, concise way that Pacific people can relate to by seeing one of their own."
The features on the website included panels in Pacific Island languages, health messages from Pacific doctors, contacts for family and sexual violence, financial support information and a list of essential services and Pacific providers.
Ms Poutasi said the team was working on creating online panel discussion with Pacific clinicians who could speak in their native language about what could be done as a community to fight the spread of coronavirus.
"The panels are a mechanism to response to community questions in a timely way."
"Communicating in first languages is a critically important approach. This includes regular panels in Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island, Niuean, Tokelauan, Tuvaluan, Kiribati and Fijian."
"The panels will be available on our Facebook page too, PreparePacific."
The work was underpinned by the latest health information from the Ministry of Health and various district health boards.
Fepulea'i Margie Apa Photo: World Vision
