Mālō ‘etau lava. I am ‘Eseta Finau, a registered nurse and advocate for Pacific nurses and the health of Pacific peoples.
I work with Pasifika Futures Ltd as a manager of family and community relationships. I am proud of my work; I see as it as a way to make sure programmes and services get to the Pacific families that really need them.
I recently toured the country talking with Pacific families about their needs and what programmes would best help them. Finances, employment, education, parenting and housing were the most common issues. Programmes tailored to suit the needs of particular communities will be developed and funding channelled through collectives of Pacific providers.
It has been very interesting talking to families we wouldn’t normally see. The inequities facing Pacific people are there to be seen, if we take the time and effort to see them. In education, health, economics, mortality and morbidity, the inequities are endless and not enough attention is being paid to them.
I believe Pacific nurses are conduits to hard-to-reach populations with multiple health disparities but until there is a multi-sector approach, sufficient time and resources and a willingness to prioritise inequities, they won’t be solved.
I live in hope that that time will eventually come. I’ll continue to advocate for Pacific nurses and their interests – I’ll keep on singing the same songs.
Interview (abridged) and photo first published in Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, August 2014