The arrival of an epidemiologist and public health specialist from Australia is the start of the Australian Volunteers Program since borders closed due to COVID-19 in early 2020.
A media statement from the Australian High Commission said the epidemiologist and public health specialist Jennifer Rodger will be attached to the Ministry of Health’s Climate Change and Health Unit and will work closely with principal officer Victoria Ieremia-Fa’asili.
“This important work will contribute to Samoa’s efforts in responding to the adverse effects of climate change on health, a key Government priority,” the statement said.
Ms. Rodger has worked on cancer research in Sydney, Australia for 13 years, and served a previous Australian Volunteer assignment in Cambodia in 2019-2020 aiding in the Cambodian Government’s malaria elimination program.
She is also a distant learning tutor with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK), with expertise in environment, health and sustainable development.
“It’s an incredible privilege to be able to live in Samoa and learn from my colleagues at the Ministry of Health,” she said.
A key focus area of the Health Sector plan is ‘improved risk management and response to disasters, public health emergencies and climate change.
