
NEWS AND UPDATES
"For a people that lacked a shadow of a voice, it made all the difference to speak for themselves, and for others to listen."
Harvard Law Review (2021) 134:1826-1858.

Heart study consultations in Fiji during March 2024
March 14-21
So excited to consult on our proposed heart study in our motherland from next week! Huge shout out to Litia Racumu, Jyoti Mani, Poonam Pal, Roshika Deo, Roneel Chandra, Lavenia Merekula, Viliame Nasici, Taraivosa Labalaba, Josua Tuwere and Nirmala Narayan for all your help behind the scenes in making this happen!!! Vinaka vakalevu to our generous our generous donors for enabling us to do this work!

Register for our Heart Health Talanoa session in HAMILTON
Friday 24 November (6.30-8.30 PM)
Don't miss out! Register today
These consultations will be held at the
Trust Waikato Meeting Rooms located at 4 Little London Lane, Hamilton Central.
The event is free for you to attend thanks to our amazing sponsors (The University of Otago, HeartOtago and Ganna Research Network). Dinner and refreshments are included, so be sure to specify your dietary requirements when you register and all attendees go in the draw to win 1 of 2 gift vouchers (worth $100 each)
I look forward to meeting you there :)
.png)
Establishing a culturally appropriate framework for a Genetics study among Peoples of Fiji
Ongoing
We are undertaking several methods of community consultation including online and in-person community discussions to hear what you have to say about our proposed study.
We are hearing loud and clear that it is important to work with key community representatives who bring a high level of health literacy and cultural literacy to determine how participant data can be used to best benefit the heart health of current and future generations. look out for our updates and don't forget to register for an event near you!
Heart Foundation funds our genetic study!!!
29 September 2023
The Ganna Research Network is delighted that the Heart Foundation of New Zealand has funded our Heart Health Project!!!
If you would like more information please sign-up for our newsletter and follow-us on Facebook to keep upto date on events and study recruitment.

Dunedin - it's your turn
Friday 8 Sept (6.30-8.30 PM)
OR Sat 9 Sept (10.30 AM- 12.30 PM)
Inviting all peoples of Fiji living in Dunedin to our Fiji Heart Health consultations. To achieve equitable heart health outcomes for Peoples of Fiji, we need to be involved in any research that concerns us. We need better representation in genetic studies using research methodologies that honour our culture, acknowledge our history and work with our lifestyles. We need a seat at the table when our data is being analysed and community-led approaches in designing treatments and interventions optimised for people with our genetic make-up.
Census and MoH data for Peoples of Fiji, living in NZ are falling through the cracks due to problems in our ethnicity capture. The rates of early heart attacks experienced in our community continue to skyrocket without adequate screening and prevention.
This is not an event where we tell you what you should eat/drink/do. We would like to invite you to come and share your ideas and experience of heart health. Please come for a talanoa and support/promote/participate and advocate for this important research so that collectively we can improve equitable heart health outcomes for Peoples of Fiji.
.jpg)
Register for Fiji Heart Health Consultations in CHRISTCHURCH
Friday 11 August (6.30-8.30 PM)
OR Saturday 12 August (2-4 PM)
Don't miss out! Register today
These consultations will be held at the
Pioneer Recreation & Sport Centre
75 Lyttelton Street, Somerfield
The event is free for you to attend thanks to our amazing sponsors (The University of Otago, HeartOtago and Ganna Research Network). Meal and refreshments are included, so be sure to specify your dietary requirements when you register :)
See you there!

Heartbeat CPR training in Wellington
1st July 2023, 1pm
Please register for our upcoming free heartbeat CPR training in Island Bay on Sat 1 July, spaces are limited to 30 people (if plenty of interest, we will organize more events!). DM me to register
Did you know:
Every week on average, between four and five people suffer a cardiac arrest somewhere in Wellington and Wairarapa.
The best way to increase someone’s chance of surviving is for everyone in our community to know how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Almost 1 in 3 cardiac arrests happen in a public place and performing good CPR increases the chance of survival. When combined with use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), survival rates can increase to 80%.
For more info, please check out: https://www.wfa.org.nz/what-we-do/heartbeat/

Fiji Health Expo
June 24, 2023
What an amazing event! Free health checks, entertainment, activities for the kids, a celebration of culture and healthy delicious food, and the warm welcome, fellowship and knowledge exchange that was uplifting and inspiring. Being the recipient of a beautiful handmade Salusalu was definitely a moment to cherish.

Initial insights from consultations in Akld and Wgtn
May-Sept 2023
Due to inadequate ethnicity capture the data for Peoples of Fiji are excluded from health reporting, risk assessment calculations and academic reporting. In partnership with Ganna Research Network, the University of Otago, Fiji Girmit Foundation of New Zealand and Wellington Voso Vakaviti language class, we are undertaking consultations with Peoples of Fiji to provide an avenue for the community to speak into the foundational aspects of the proposed research, including the development of a cultural framework that is inclusive and representative of all Peoples of Fiji and in defining the roles and responsibilities of the community-led Research Steering committee.

Interview on Radio 531pi
June 8, 2023
Ina Vakaafi, from Pacific Media Networks' Radio 531pi, interviews Pritika about our upcoming community consultations. Pritika also discusses the importance of raising awareness about problems with ethnicity capture for Peoples of Fiji living in NZ, and how this impacts our health reporting

Register for WELLINGTON community consultation events
June 9 &10 in WELLINGTON
Register for our community consultation events using the link below.
This is your opportunity to share and shape the heart health of our future generations.
Learn more about our efforts to advocate for our community and about the values that can inform and guide research concerning our health.

Register for AUCKLAND community consultation events
May 26 & 27 in AUCKLAND
Register for our community consultation events using the link below.
This is your opportunity to share and shape the heart health of our future generations.
Learn more about our efforts to advocate for our community and about the values that can inform and guide research concerning our health.

Our work is making ripples...
May 11, 2023
Honored to have this opportunity to speak with researchers and health professionals working at the coal face in Fiji about heart health and the proposed genetics study. Pritika will be presenting at the Girmit Conference being held at USP in Suva 12-13 May, and visiting the cardiology teams at CWM with Dr Kapadia on 15-16 May. Thank you to A & M Narayan and S Goulstone for making this happen!

Congratulations to the NISAN team for winning the Te Puiaki Pūtaiao Matua a Te Pirimia Prime Minister's Science Prize
May 1, 2023
Te Puiaki Pūtaiao Matua a Te Pirimia is one of the highest recognition of research scientists here in Aotearoa, New Zealand., and was presented by the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Research, Science, and Innovation Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall. The team from NISAN who received the award included Professor Feigin along with Dr Alexander Merkin, Professor Rita Krishnamurthi, and Balakrishnan Nair.

Interview with Pawan on Radio Tarana
April 19, 2023
An opportunity to talk about the important 'why' questions behind our research.

Cardiology Forum with Dr. Vijay Kapadia
April 11 2023
An amazing opportunity to present with Dr Vijay Kapadia, Interventional Cardiologist (at Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland). For decades, he has spearheaded the movement to bring quality cardiovascular care to his home country of Fiji and has been successful in opening a cath lab at CWM in Suva. His team has been instrumental in treating and documenting the burden of CVD in the region, which as we know, is amongst the highest in the world. Dr Kapadia has been the recipient of several accolades including Fiji’s highest civilian award, The Order of Fiji, and has a special NZ connection – he trained as a cardiologist in Wellington Hospital. Pritika provided an update on hospitalization and mortality rates amongst Girmit descendants living in Aotearoa. Pritika will be meeting with Dr Kapadia in Suva during the Fiji Girmit commemorations in May.
.jpg)
Inaugural hui with Ngāti Whātua, Ōrākei, with Kaumatua Rōpata Paora
Feb 11, 2023
This was the first of hopefully many conversations, of many little fibers taking root to grow into something that nurtures, sustains, cares, and protects the heart health of our future generations.
This was a small but significant gathering with Matua Rōpata, Ajit Narayan, Rita Krishnamurthi, Musheerah Nuha, Quishile Charan and myself to whanaungatanga (share and connect), manaakitanga (build on mutual respect and care) and decide on some next steps such as:
We will be conducting conducting community consultation around the country for the propsed heart health study.
We are still collecting responses on our online survey regarding your thoughts and concerns about the proposed genetic study - If you are able, please take 20mins with your whānau to fill in this google form: https://forms.gle/DZNL9kFvRW2tde4p7. We’re looking for a cross section of voices from different ages and walks of life to be represented and included in the continuing community consultation. Please also share the survey amongst your networks.
We will compile the results of 1 & 2 to inform the TOR for our research steering committee and the ethics application for our genetics study.
Watch this space

The Inaugural Circle of Sisters
Nov 19, 2022
An evening to engage all the senses in revisiting the lives and stories of our Girmit foremothers (with the food they ate, the incense they burnt, the expansive shores they set their sights on, the songs they sang, the stories they told and the tools they held as they worked on the land or prepared food). We were inspired with stories from special guests Roshika Deo and Quishile Charan and reminded of how culture can be preserved and tended, nurtured, and grown especially among a circle of sisters. Such a practise has incredible potential for healing and health.
.jpg)
Girmit Dil ke baat
(Lets talk about heart health)
Saturday 29 October 2-4PM
How are our Girmit ancestors' experiences linked the health of Girmit-descendants now? Hear from international experts in Diabetes (Prof. Rinki Murphy), Stroke (A/Prof. Rita Krishnamurthi) and emerging researcher (Dr. Pritika Narayan) leading a genetics study on Girmit Heart Health. Join us in re-imagining what heart health can look like for our future Girmit-descendants. This is a family-friendly, free event, with free health checks from health professionals who speak Fiji baat, a beautiful space to snack, sip chai, and talanoa together about ways to improve heart-related health and wellbeing.

Hauora Hour with the Moko Foundation
October 19, 2022
A beautiful opportunity to kōrero with Conor Watene-O'Sullivan from the Moko Foundation, about how our ancestors' experiences (including their resilience and their ability to adapt and survive) during the indenture, or during colonisation in Aotearoa, still bear marks in the very building blocks of our lives today - in our DNA.
_edited.jpg)
Best Presentation at CAHRE Symposium 2022
2 Sept 2022
Pritika gave a presentation on the links between the experiences of our ancestors and the potential adaptive changes that occurred in response to 41 years of prenatal famine exposure during the indenture. Our team was awarded the first prize for Best Presentation. Pritika is pictured here with CAHRE co-directors: Rachel Simon-Kumar and Roshini Peiris-John.

TALANOA AND KHANA
1 July 2022
Beautiful talanoa and vision setting session with Ireen Rahiman-Manuel, Rita Krishnamurthi, Indra Dutt, Renali Narayan, and Ted Manuel, was amazing to finally meet in person after months of only meeting virtually.