Your Hon. Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand,
Hon. Dr. Shane Reti, Minister of Health and Minister of Pacific People of New Zealand,
Distinguish guests,
On behalf of the Government of Samoa and Samoa’s health sector, I would like to heartily acknowledge the ongoing assistance by the Government of New Zealand towards Samoa’s long term development.
It goes without saying that both our nations have enjoyed very close and most fruitful relations which can take back to several decades.
In addition to wide assistance through multiple government Ministries and sectoral approaches, New Zealand has also shown its immense generosity to further strengthen Samoa’s health system through:
1. funding of the design and supervision of the Public Health Laboratory in respect to sub-component 2.2 of the World Bank COVID-19 Response Project namely: “Establishment of Public Health Laboratory for Human and Animal Health”. This activity is one of the three activities that will be conducted by UNOPS; which is in line with Samoa Measles Recovery Plan 2020 and National Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan FY2020/2021-FY2024/2025.
2. funding of the construction of the Nurses Multipurpose Training Centre as part of the commemoration of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic and 100 years of nursing services in Samoa in line with the Government of Samoa’s national health priority on placing the focus back on revitalizing Primary Health Care and strengthening Public Health System. This training facility is planned to provide multi-disciplinary training programs for all health disciplines in particular the nursing fraternity; and serve as a refuge for evacuation purposes in times of natural disasters and public health emergencies.
3. providing support in establishment of multi-disciplinary teams in rural district hospitals; a World Bank initiative through its Program for Results (PforR) funding mechanism
4. provide support in strengthening of Samoa’s health system through the works of the Polynesian Health Corridors under its four broad pillars which are:
(i) improved access to essential medicines
(ii) support pandemic preparedness and response through COVID-19 response and immunization programs
(iii) support cancer prevention and treatment and
(iv) mental health; and most importantly
5. the reviving of the Bachelor of Health Science program here in the National University of Samoa focusing on capacity building of allied health professionals. The assistance by the government of New Zealand has enabled to fund 20 scholarship opportunities for students that are interested in undertaking this program for the next three years; and we hope this will continue in future years taking into account the dire need to build the capacity of health workers to deliver safe and quality health services to promote the health and wellbeing of our population; as one of our national key strategic outcomes in the Pathway for the Development of Samoa FY2021/22-FY2025/26.
On behalf of the government and people of Samoa, I wish to thank the government of New Zealand through your honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, Hon. Winston Peters, honorable Minsiter of Health and Minister of Pacific People of New Zealand, Hon. Dr. Shane Reti and your respective delegations for your continuous support both technically and financially for Samoa.
May God bless you all. Soifua ma ia manuia.
