Fetuoleaniva (Aniva) Hunkin, is on a heartfelt mission to improve Pacific health outcomes. As a recipient of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Knowledge Hub Masters Scholarship, Aniva shares with us the motivations that drive her to pursue a Master of Science, majoring in Psychology.

The World Health Organization reports more than 288,000 lives are claimed every year from Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), with a high concentration of these cases being located in the Pacific. It's prevalence highlights the significant inequality and inequity faced in the region, with limited resources available for people who suffer from this preventable disease. Amidst these dire statistics, we are introduced to Dr. Maryanne Kora’ai, a paediatric cardiologist, who has dedicated the past two decades of her career to addressing RHD.

In the Pacific, countless families grapple with the devastating reality that life-saving medical treatments are often out of reach. For one young Fijian boy, this was his lived experience. Struggling with Cushing’s Disease, a hormonal condition with devastating implications, his chances of diagnosis and treatment were challenging in the Pacific.