Back to Current Cohort Vasenai Sakalai
Fiji
Master of Midwifery Studies, The University of Newcastle
Vasenai is an experienced health professional who has seen first-hand, through her work as a District Nurse and later a Nurse/Midwife, the high rates of risks associated with women giving birth in nursing stations far from hospitals. To reduce health risks for new mothers, her community advocacy resulted in village by-laws being passed to ensure hospital bookings were arranged in the first trimester, with a committee set up to support the transportation of mothers nearing birthing dates.
Vasenai believes staying engaged in up-to-date nursing research and creating a safe discussion platform for soon-to-be mothers to voice their concerns without fear of judgement would help to create better health outcomes for parents and their babies. A recipient of the Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship in 2018, through which she pursued a Post-Graduate Diploma in Midwifery, Vasenai’s Master’s studies are in line with her passion to provide holistic care to women and their babies.