Malia and Kate

Malia has worked in the nursing profession for almost two decades. She is passionate about the importance of evidence-based research in helping policymakers to make more informed policy and programming decisions. She believes better quality health data, and better use of this data, will lead to more effective use of government resources, and better overall health outcomes in Tonga.

Malia believes that a more holistic approach is needed to address health issues in Tonga. This means addressing the causes of disease, rather than the symptoms. While she understands it can be difficult to change behaviours, she hopes the skills she learns through the Women’s Leadership Initiative will complement her qualifications and enable her to address some of these challenges.

Kate works as a public health physician in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS), and has volunteered her time with CLAN since 2004. CLAN is committed to a rights-based, community development approach to improving health outcomes for children who are living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and other chronic health conditions in resource-poor communities in over ten countries.

Since late 2010, Kate has been part of international advocacy efforts to promote children, adolescents and more recently First Nations peoples within the global NCD discourse.
In 2011 CLAN served as the Inaugural Secretariat (with Kate as founding Chair) of NCD Child, an independent global coalition of individuals and organizations committed to promoting a life-course approach to NCDs, health and development.