Sir Colin Tukuitonga: respected Pacific health expert receives knighthood

TheCoconetTV is extremely proud to acknowledge the knighting of Associate Pacific Dean, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours. Dr Tukuitonga is awarded with the Knights Companion Order of Merit (KNZM), a top accolade for his services to Pacific and Public Health.

The honour acknowledges Dr Tukuitonga’s extensive history of service to his Pacific community, both in Aotearoa, further into the Pacific region and on the global stage.

Sir Tukuitonga is one of our most prominent Pacific figures in the health sector in Aotearoa, the region and globally, having held leadership roles in public health and in Pacific development. His voice was crucial in advocating for Pasifika during the Covid crisis in Aotearoa, and he has been consistently vocal in pointing to inequities for Pasifika in the Health system and pushing for policy to impact Pasifika in better ways.

Sir Tukuitonga has held several highly influential offices, including Director General of the Pacific Community (SPC), Commissioner and Co-ordinator for WHO Geneva, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health. He was also instrumental in establishing Pacific Language Weeks as an Aotearoa New Zealand government initiative, and in his home of Niue, he established the biannual Niue Culture and Arts Festival.

Of this honour, Dr Tukuitonga expresses deep gratitude and appreciation, and acknowledges a great desire to continue creating opportunities for future Pacific leaders: 

“Unlike other leaders who strive to create followers, I strongly believe that a great leader develops other leaders.”

-Sir Colin Tukuitonga

The Office of the Associate Dean, Pacific at the University of Auckland have written the following in acknowledging his extraordinary service: 

Dr Tukuitonga’s role as a long and faithful servant to Pacific communities in Aotearoa and the region is what truly defines him as a person. Dr Tukuitonga has tirelessly championed the improvement of Pacific lives in all that he does and this drive stems from his personal values of social justice, fairness and equity. These core values underpin his strong commitment, passion and desire to make the lives better of Pacific people everywhere. 

Dr Tukuitonga’s leadership in developing and nurturing Pacific talent is unparalleled. Unlike other leaders who strive to create followers, Dr Tukuitonga is a strong believer that leaders develop other leaders. This is clearly demonstrated in his work history, where he has established Pacific leadership programs throughout his career and being a positive influence and mentor for Pacific professionals across the globe. Dr Tukuitonga leadership style has led to the growth of Pacific leaders in Aotearoa and the region many of whom hold Dr Tukuitonga in high regard. 

Since Dr Tukuitonga arrived in New Zealand in 1987 working as a junior doctor at the Auckland Hospital, he has held inaugural Pacific positions and established influential Pacific medical and health organisations, leadership programs and medical and health science research programs. These include:

•       In 1989 he helped set up the first Pacific community-owned medical and health clinic in New Zealand, known as The Fono.
•       In 1989 he set up Pacific Heartbeat to reduce the burden of heart disease in Pacific communities at the National Heart Foundation.
•       In 1996 he was one of the founding members of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA). The PMA has been instrumental in providing health and social service support in the region and Aotearoa. 
•       In 1998 he won funding to establish the first Pacific birth cohort longitudinal study, The Pacific Islands Family Study and was the founding co-director. This study is still ongoing at Auckland University of Technology. 
•       In 2000 he wrote the first health status report on the health of Pacific island people in New Zealand. 
•       Set up the Health Research Council Pacific Committee and became the first Chair.
•       In 2018 he was nominated by the New Zealand government and the Pacific Ministers of Health as the first Pacific nominee for the Regional Director role, WHO Western Pacific Regional Office.
•       In 2020 he was appointed the inaugural Associate Dean Pacific for the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland

The Office of the Dean are excited about the current slate of work in Pacific communities being led by Dr Tukuitonga, including work in education, climate and human security.

The Queen’s annual birthday honours acknowledge the extraordinary services and contributions of people to Aotearoa New Zealand. Sir Colin Tukuitonga joins just a handful of Pasifika people that have been bestowed with this top honour including Dame Valerie Adams, Sir Michael Jones, Dame Luamanuvao Winnie Laban and Sir Bryan Williams. 

The full list of Queen's Birthday honours for 2022 can be found here. 

View the current work of the Associate Dean Pacific, University of Auckland, here.