Pacific Health

The ProCare Network reflects this diversity, caring for more than half of enrolled patients in Auckland, including more than 100,000 Pacific people. This represents the largest Pacific population enrolled in general practice in New Zealand.

Pacific Health Strategy

The Pacific Health Strategy is closely aligned with the wider Population Health Strategy, and its purpose is to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Pacific people.

There are four areas of focus:

Our fale (staff)
Our tautua (service)
Our anoiha (future)
Our Matakeinanga (village)

You can find out more about the strategy here

Pacific Health in Auckland

ProCare represents 30% of New Zealand’s enrolled Pacific population which is 49% of Pacific population in metro-Auckland. This consists of 44,000 Samoans, 20,000 Tongans, 14,000 Cook Islanders, 11,000 Fijians, 6,000 Niueans and others.

In 2019 ProCare practices exceeded national health targets for Pacific people for smoking brief advice, CVD risk assessment and secondary prevention - Triple Therapy.

ProCare practices exceed the national target for 8 month immunisations in 2019 reaching 96% (target 95%)

Achieving Equity for Pacific: A Practical Guide for General Practice

Developed by ProCare's Pacific Health team, Achieving Equity for Pacific is a practical guide designed to support general practice teams to strengthen engagement with Pacific patients, improve culturally responsive care, and help achieve more equitable health outcomes.

The guide provides actionable tools and insights on communication, health literacy, Pacific values, family involvement, socioeconomic factors, and creating welcoming practice environments. Whether your practice is beginning its equity journey or looking to build on existing initiatives, this resource offers practical steps to help make a meaningful difference for Pacific patients, their families, and future generations.

To request a copy, ProCare practices can get in touch with their Key Contact.

Healthy Village Action Zones

Healthy Village Action Zones (HVAZ) brings together Pacific churches, community leaders and healthcare providers to support better health outcomes for Pacific peoples. By delivering health education, screenings and wellbeing programmes in trusted community settings, HVAZ helps families take proactive steps towards better health. 

Pacific Advisory Committee

ProPa - ProCare's Pacific Advisory Committee, has provided guidance and advise for the organisation over the past 20 years. Most ProCare initiatives require ProPa endorsement before implementation.

Established in 2000, ProPa advises and supports ProCare in recognising the special place Pacific people have in New Zealand, to respond to the diverse culture of Pacific people, and to promote health and wellbeing amongst Pacific communities.

You can read ProPa's committee charter here.

Sally Dalhousie (Chair)

Registered Social Worker, Sally Dalhousie is the Chief Operating Officer at The Fono Trust, New Zealand's largest Pacific community owned NGO. The Fono delivers a range of medical, dental, public health, whanau ora, mental health, education and social services across Auckland and Northland.

Sally is also a Board Member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, the Waitakere Improving School Attendance Programme and served as a National President of PACIFICA Inc. Sally is passionate about Pacific community building and savouring time with her family and friends outside of work.
Tevita Funaki

Tevita is the Chair of the ProCare Health (PHO) Ltd board and member of the ProCare Network Ltd board. He is an influential leader with sound commercial and community experience. His other community involvements include Chairman of the Pacific Business Trust, Chairman of the Ministry of Social Development - Pacific Governance Group. Tevita is also a member of Minister Salesa’s Pacific Expert Advisory Panel and also a member of the Police Commissioner National Pacific board. Tevita was raised in the Friendly Island of Tonga! His primary role is the Chief Executive of the Fono Trust, a Pacific provider of medical, dental, social, public health tion services.
Judy Matai’a

Judy Matai’a is currently the Chief Executive Officer at the Anglican Trust for Women & Children (ATWC), based in Auckland and has been its first female CEO. Prior to moving to ATWC, Judy worked for the Department of Child Youth and Family Services as well as teaching in undergraduate social work programmes at Unitec and at the University of Auckland.
Judy holds a Masters Degrees in Social Work and an MBA (Hons) both from Massey University; and an undergraduate degree from the University of Auckland. In 2018, Judy also graduated from the Global Women’s Breakthrough Leadership programme.
In addition to her advisory roles across Oranga Tamariki and the Ministry of Social Development, plus the various Board positions she holds; Judy is involved in Governance training for Pasifika leaders with LEAD Centre for Not for Profit Governance & Leadership.
Dr Viliami Puloka

Dr Viliami Puloka is a public health physician from the Kingdom of Tonga with extensive experience in Pacific health, non‑communicable disease prevention, and community‑led health promotion. He is a Research Fellow and Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, where he contributes to Pacific research, teaching, and strengthening the NCD response across the region.
Viliami holds medical and public health qualifications, including specialist training in public health medicine. His work focuses strongly on diabetes and obesity, describing diabetes as “the face of NCD in the Pacific, including Aotearoa New Zealand.” He is a strong advocate for shifting health systems toward empowering communities as active partners in improving wellbeing.
He has held several regional and international leadership roles, including Chair of the IUHPE Southwestern Pacific Region, President of the International Network for Indigenous Health Promotion Professionals, and membership on the Global Scientific Committee for the IUHPE World Conference.
Across his career, Dr Puloka is known for his deep cultural grounding, strategic insight, and commitment to improving health outcomes for Pacific peoples.
Dr Minnie Strickland

Dr Minnie Strickland is a highly respected General Practitioner with more than 25 years of experience serving Pacific communities across South Auckland. Born in the Cook Islands and raised in Ōtara and Papatoetoe, she brings deep cultural insight, strong clinical leadership, and a long-standing commitment to improving health outcomes for Pacific families.
Minnie first joined ProCare in 2017 as the organisation’s inaugural Associate Clinical Director – Pacific, a pioneering role focused on strengthening Pacific clinical leadership across the network. After returning from Australia, she was appointed to the ProCare Clinical Quality Committee in 2024, where she contributes her expertise in primary care, long‑term conditions, and culturally responsive practice.
In October 2025, Minnie joined the ProCare Pacific Advisory Committee (ProPa), bringing her experience in community-based general practice, clinical governance, and Pacific health equity. She is known for her hands-on, relationship-centred approach and her dedication to supporting whānau to achieve their health goals.
Alongside her ProCare roles, Minnie serves as GP Lead at OneCare Health in Papatoetoe and was recently appointed Clinical Director at Vaka Tautua, joining its Executive Leadership Team in January 2026. Her leadership supports safe, high-quality, and culturally grounded care across disability, mental health, and social services for Pacific families.
Outside of work, Minnie enjoys music and spending time with her husband.

Tala-Moana app

ProCare has created a cultural competency app called ‘Tala-Moana’ as part of its equity journey and as a way of helping staff, its network and wider stakeholders to increase their engagement with Pacific languages.

Tala-Moana provides an engaging interactive experience that allows users to connect with seven Pacific languages and cultures (Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Tokelau, Sāmoan and Tuvalu) to improve their understanding of Pacific communities and their health and social needs.

You can select a Pacific nation to access information on the culture and language, useful words and phrases, prayers and songs, and multiple interactive tools that will help you gain confidence in engaging with Pacific cultures in a health setting.

To download Tala-Moana, go to Microsoft, Google Play, or the App Store.