Enhancing responsiveness through public health workforce development
Le Va has been charged with implementing actions in Taeao o Tautai: the Pacific Public Health Workforce Development Plan 2012-2017, contributing to Te Uru Kahikatea: The Public Health Workforce Development Plan 2007-2016.
With a vision to reduce inequalities, Objective 3 of Te Uru Kahikatea is to…
Strengthen the Pacific public Health Workforce as well as the capability of the non-Pacific public health workforce to improve Pacific health and achieve equity in health’.
In collaboration with the Minsitry of Health, Le Va’s results for July 2014 to June 2015 included:
- 162 public health workers successfully completed our Engaging Pasifika cultural competency training programme, adapted and tailored for public health frontline workers
- 100% of public health participants strongly or moderately agreed that the programme was excellent.
- Leading the development and launch of Moana Ola, New Zealand’s national Pacific public health network. Moana Ola was launched at the 2014 New Zealand Public Health Congress by Ministry of Health chief advisor Hilda Fa’asalele.
- The development and support of Moana Ola, now with 23 organisations as members. The network brings together Pacific public health leadership and is an efficient vehicle to disseminate information to a targeted Pasifika public health workforce. Moana Ola functions as an autonomous, independent body.
- Promoting career pathway resources, relevant public health qualifications and scholarships to targeted Pacific public health workers.
- Le Va has a strategic relationship with the Public Health Association and collaborates to inform best practice.
- Local government connects with the public health sector in many ways, such as through Health Protection Officers and by-laws for some professions such as tattooing. Le Va piloted a Pasifika mentoring and leadership programme for 20 Pasifika people working at Auckland City Council.
- Enhancing cultural responsiveness of public health leaders by contributing to the Ministry of Health’s Public Health Leadership Programme (PHLP).
- Contributing to workforce development policy, e.g. through membership of the public health sector reference group for the review of Te Uru Kahikatea: public health workforce development plan.