Pacific Health

Pacific Innovations Team Members

Photo of Dr Api Talemaitoga.

Dr Api Talemaitoga - Chief Advisor, Pacific Health
Dr Api Talemaitoga joined the Ministry in July 2008 and has a wealth of experience both in New Zealand and across the Pacific. His role is to help make health services and the system more responsive to the health needs of Pacific populations living in New Zealand.

Api is also practicing once a week as a General Practitioner for the Normans Road Surgery in Christchurch. He has contributed to the National Health Committee's advice on the management of Long Term Conditions, worked in the Pacific both as personal physician to Fijian leaders and, more recently across the Melanesian and Polynesian region facilitating access to specialist services in New Zealand and other countries. Api also served on the Board of the Canterbury District Health Board in 2000-1.

Debra Tuifao, Team Leader
Debra's family herald from Samoa specifically Salelavalu i Savai'i (mother) and Falelatai Matautu i Upolu (father). She is a New Zealand-born Samoan lawyer, and was one of the founding members of the Victoria University of Wellington Pacific Island Law Students Society. Debra has worked as a public servant in Wellington for the last 10 years and has been with the Ministry of Health since 2004 working in areas such as Pacific health policy development, strategic workforce development, and public health. In her current role she supports the Chief Advisor Pacific Health in delivering the Pacific Innovations work programme and managing the team.

Natuitasina Levy, Policy Analyst.

Natuitasina Levy, Senior Advisor
Natu is of Samoan heritage. He graduated with a BA in Public Policy from Victoria University and has substantially completed a LLB Degree. Natu has previously been a Service Development Analyst and Business Rules Analyst for Sector Services. Natu’s has also been a policy analyst with Pacific Policy & Strategy in areas of long term conditions, public health and workforce development. Currently Natu is providing lead support and advice on Pacific contracting, workforce development and Pacific sector accountability.

Lori Maxwell, Senior Advisor (Contract Management)
Lori Maxwell was born and raised in Wellington and is of Samoan heritage. She gained a BSc and a BA at Victoria University majoring in Ecology and Classics. She then relocated to Dunedin and earned a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. Lori began working at the Ministry of Health in 2005 in the area of contract performance reporting. Lori is also an artist exhibiting in local galleries.

Photo of Jonathan Malifa.

Jonathan Malifa, Programme Administrator
Jonathan is of Samoan heritage and grew up in Lower Hutt. He has extensive experience working as an administrator, both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and is currently studying towards a degree in education and public policy at Victoria University.

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Page last updated: 11 November 2009