top of page

2025 End of Year Summary

  • Dr Joseph Kado
  • 7 days ago
  • 6 min read

Bula vinaka, halo, talofa, iokwe kom, and season’s greetings from the Pacific RHD Program!


Thank you for your continued interest and support to the Pacific RHD Program. We appreciate the time, effort and expertise you have provided over the year and are thrilled to provide an update on our progress and plans.


We are pleased to share a summary of some of the fantastic achievements we have had so far in 2025.


Governance and team building


Our team: Fiji

We hired our first Pacific-based staff member in May – we warmly introduce you to Dr. Nashika Sharma our Pacific Hub Manager based in Suva, Fiji. She brings over six years of clinical and public health experience, with expertise in data-driven health systems, communicable disease surveillance, program management, and health policy implementation.

L-R: Ms. Fazleen Nisha (MEL & GEDSI Coordinator, Fiji), Dr. Nashika Sharma (Pacific Hub Manager, Fiji), Mrs. Erini Kala (Community Engagement Advisor for the Program/Manager at Heart Heroes Fiji), Dr. Joseph Kado (Program Director, Australia), and Ms. Jessica Daw (Project Coordinator, Australia).
L-R: Ms. Fazleen Nisha (MEL & GEDSI Coordinator, Fiji), Dr. Nashika Sharma (Pacific Hub Manager, Fiji), Mrs. Erini Kala (Community Engagement Advisor for the Program/Manager at Heart Heroes Fiji), Dr. Joseph Kado (Program Director, Australia), and Ms. Jessica Daw (Project Coordinator, Australia).

Since then, we have welcomed another staff member to the Fiji ‘Hub’ team, with Ms. Fazleen Nisha as our MEL & GEDSI Coordinator. Fazleen has experience supporting development programs across the Pacific, with a focus on evaluation, capacity building, program learning, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI). We will be welcoming our third Fiji staff member in the New Year, with Ms. Laisani Tamani coming on as our Program Support Officer. Laisani is a recent Public Health graduate and has volunteering experience with health and environmental research activities in informal settlements, data collection, community engagement, and basic monitoring practices.


Our team: Solomon Islands

Our Solomon Islands staff began mid-October - we warmly introduce you to Mr. Harold Maesulia as Director of the Solomon Islands RHD Management & Control Program (RHDSI), and Mrs. Javelyn Umalifia as Community Liaison Officer. Harold has six years of experience as a Public Health manager, with a wealth of experience in strategic planning, leadership, program evaluation, and media content creation. Javelyn brings together her understanding of psychology and health service management, along with her experience with community awareness programs and household surveys.

L-R: Our Solomon Islands team – Mrs. Javelyn Umalifia (Community Liaison Officer), and Mr. Harold Maesulia (Director of SI RHD Program).
L-R: Our Solomon Islands team – Mrs. Javelyn Umalifia (Community Liaison Officer), and Mr. Harold Maesulia (Director of SI RHD Program).
Pictured: Mrs. Javelyn Umalifia (Community Liaison Officer, Solomon Islands) (M), with Solomon Islands lived experience representatives Mrs. Rasela Tiroba (L), and Sister Lynelle Mark (R).
Pictured: Mrs. Javelyn Umalifia (Community Liaison Officer, Solomon Islands) (M), with Solomon Islands lived experience representatives Mrs. Rasela Tiroba (L), and Sister Lynelle Mark (R).

Our team: Vanuatu

Our Vanuatu staff began mid-November – we warmly introduce you to Ms. Melissa Binihi as National RHD Coordinator for the Vanuatu RHD Control Programme, and Mr. Edwin Yamaimai as Community Liaison Officer. Melissa has over seven years of experience within the health sector (including with Ministry of Health), overseeing program activities, logistics, natural disaster emergency response and integrated outreach health programs in peri-urban and rural communities across six provinces in Vanuatu.

L-R: Our Vanuatu team – Ms. Melissa Binihi (National RHD Coordinator) and Mr. Edwin Yamaimai (Community Liaison Officer).
L-R: Our Vanuatu team – Ms. Melissa Binihi (National RHD Coordinator) and Mr. Edwin Yamaimai (Community Liaison Officer).

Edwin has a background in community health, public administration, and human resource management, with experience with health service delivery, monitoring and evaluation, community engagement, and education.


Our team: Australia-Pacific

  • We are thrilled to have Mrs. Erini Kala, who is the Manager for Heart Heroes Fiji, coming on board the Program as Community Engagement Advisor. Erini will be integral to establishing our Champions program in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu for people living with RHD (PLW RHD).

  • Following on from her internship with us through McCusker Centre for Citizenship, we welcomed Ms. Danielle Dias on as our Program Assistant. Danielle is helping to contribute to a clearer understanding of current RHD control activities across the Pacific, and adverse drug reactions to benzathine penicillin G (BPG).

Pictured: Ms. Jessica Daw (Project Coordinator, Australia) (R) with Ms. Danielle Dias (Program Assistant, Australia) (M) and her father Mr. Stan Dias (L) at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship Outstanding Intern Award.
Pictured: Ms. Jessica Daw (Project Coordinator, Australia) (R) with Ms. Danielle Dias (Program Assistant, Australia) (M) and her father Mr. Stan Dias (L) at the McCusker Centre for Citizenship Outstanding Intern Award.

  • We welcomed two Research Volunteers onto the Program: Dr. Sahil Kharwadkar who is a Junior Medical Officer based in Wagga Wagga, Australia; and Dr. Manish Kumar who is a Medical Officer based in Navua, Fiji. Sahil is working on RHD diagnostic capacity in the Pacific, while Manish will be looking at the Pacific supply/access and experience of benzathine penicillin G (BPG).


Governance

We established local Governance mechanisms in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands including representatives of PLW RHD. Thank you to the executives of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, clinicians, lived experience representatives and all the colleagues who have worked with us to establish these critical groups.

Pictured: Solomon Islands Technical and Advisory Committee (Governance group) with Program staff and Advisors.
Pictured: Solomon Islands Technical and Advisory Committee (Governance group) with Program staff and Advisors.
Pictured: Solomon Islands Steering Committee (Governance group) with Program staff.
Pictured: Solomon Islands Steering Committee (Governance group) with Program staff.
Pictured: Vanuatu Technical Working Group (Governance group) with Program staff and Advisors.
Pictured: Vanuatu Technical Working Group (Governance group) with Program staff and Advisors.
Pictured: Vanuatu Steering Committee (Governance group) with Program staff.
Pictured: Vanuatu Steering Committee (Governance group) with Program staff.

Program activities

Pictured: Vanuatu lived experience representative Ms. Daisy Karae (L), with her mother Ms. Hanzel Moli (R).
Pictured: Vanuatu lived experience representative Ms. Daisy Karae (L), with her mother Ms. Hanzel Moli (R).

  • Facilitated multiple consultations and meetings for cultural naming journey for the ‘Knowledge Hub’ led by an iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) Cultural navigator/researcher with active participation of RHD Lived Experience champions from the Pacific region and Nepal.

  • A team from The Kids and the Fiji Hub, along with our MEL Advisor (Ms. Susan Rackstraw) and GEDSI Advisor (Mrs. Lisa Faerua), conducted our site inception visits to Solomon Islands and Vanuatu in November, which included office set-up, country programs governance meetings, technical discussions, and stakeholder engagements across program governance, laboratory strengthening, MEL/GEDSI training and community engagement.

  • Supported the development of Annual Work Plans for 2025-26 for Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

  • Signed contracts in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu with our implementation partner, Live & Learn to manage human resources and local payments.

  • Developed our Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan, and Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Analysis, Strategy and Action Plan.

  • Supported clinicians in Solomon Islands to conduct RHD screenings in four schools across Guadalcanal Province with the assistance of a visiting Australian paediatric cardiology team. A total of 1,086 students were screened over 4 days, with 23 new RHD cases detected, and 13 new cases of congenital heart disease (CHD). All new cases were connected to clinical care and follow-up.


Sharing stories


  • Represented and socialised the Pacific RHD Program at ten conferences (GIDSov; ASID; PPA; PHoH; LISSSD; Pacific Population Health Summit; Philippine Heart Center; FMA; PIHRS; WCPCCS). It was powerful to hear and share all the work underway to address RHD across the region and beyond.

  • Co-designed and co-led a global Lived Experience workshop in Brisbane in June (see photos and graphic below). This workshop aimed to consolidate the global RHD Lived Experience voice, strengthen collaboration, explore culturally grounded approaches to research, and identify shared pathways for working together. The workshop was attended by over 30 people, with Indigenous representation from 10 countries.

  • Launched our website (www.pacificrhd.org), and developed social media presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Bluesky.

  • Established the Pacific RHD email domain (new contact for the Program: admin@pacificrhd.org).


L-R: Ms. Jessica Daw (Project Coordinator, Australia), A/Prof. Rosemary Wyber (Technical Advisor, Australia), Dr. Joseph Kado (Program Director, Australia), Ms. Christine Everest (Program Management support, Australia) at LISSSD25.
L-R: Ms. Jessica Daw (Project Coordinator, Australia), A/Prof. Rosemary Wyber (Technical Advisor, Australia), Dr. Joseph Kado (Program Director, Australia), Ms. Christine Everest (Program Management support, Australia) at LISSSD25.
Pictured: Lived Experience workshop yarning circles/Talanoa session at LISSSD25.
Pictured: Lived Experience workshop yarning circles/Talanoa session at LISSSD25.
Pictured: Graphic recording of the Lived Experience workshop at LISSSD25.
Pictured: Graphic recording of the Lived Experience workshop at LISSSD25.

Applied research


  • In response to locally identified laboratory needs to support the diagnosis of ARF, we completed a study using alternative mammalian blood types, from animals available in PICTs, for use in blood agar to improve detection of Strep A in resource limited settings.

  • Continued a desktop scoping review of RHD control activities across the Pacific, including a section on Burden of Disease which will develop rough estimates of national RHD burden.

  • Begun the development of a RHD Register, including minimum dataset, to be used to track and monitor RHD cases in Pacific countries.

  • Begun a review on RHD diagnostic capacity in the Pacific.

  • Begun a scoping review on adverse drug reactions to benzathine penicillin G (BPG).


Please note that we intend to conduct a workshop in Fiji for key stakeholders in April 2026 (TBC, likely either 13th-16th or 20th-22nd). Further details will be released in the New Year.


We would like to thank all those who make the collective successes of the Program a reality – our funders, our partners, the support teams at The Kids Research Institute Australia, Program staff, volunteers, consultants, collaborators, and community members.


We look forward to continuing our important work together. Please keep in touch and feel free to share this with colleagues who may be interested.



Sincerely,


Dr. Joseph Kado

On behalf of the Pacific RHD Program

 
 
bottom of page