annual report for c-pond 2016 - fiji national university · annual report for c-pond 2016 ... and...

Annual Report

for

C-POND

2016

Pacific Research Centre for the Prevention of Obesity

and Non-communicable Diseases

(C-POND)

Pacific Research Centre for the Prevention of Obesity and Non-communicable Diseases C-POND

C-POND

Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3

Vision ............................................................................................................................................... 4

Welcome ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Reference Group ............................................................................................................................. 6

Staffing and Students ...................................................................................................................... 7

Projects........................................................................................................................................... 8

Finance .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Other Activities ............................................................................................................................. 11

Photo Gallery ................................................................................................................................ 14

Acknowledgment…………………………...............................................................................................15


C-POND

Introduction

The Pacific Research Centre for the Prevention of Obesity and Non-communicable Diseases

(C-POND) was established in 2009. It is a collaborative Research Centre between the Fiji

School of Medicine (now the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Fiji National

University) and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity at Deakin University.

C-POND is based at the Fiji National University’s Public Health Campus in Tamavua, Suva.

The Centre is led by Dr Ilisapeci Kubuabola (Director) and Dr Jillian Wate (Deputy Director –

Research). The Centre is guided by a Reference Advisory group who meets quarterly (via

teleconference) and face-to-face biennially. In this Annual Report, we will introduce new

members to our reference group and briefly summaries activities of C-POND in 2016.


C-POND

Vision

The vision for C-POND is “Creating the evidence, knowledge exchange and research capacity

needed to reverse the obesity and NCD crisis in the Pacific Islands.”

Currently, the areas of focus are in three (3) major categories. Its scope is depicted below

C-POND

Evidence Creation

Undertake and support

research

Data support and analysis

Research Communication and Utilisation

Support for increasing

accountability of research

Publications; scientific policy

briefs

Capacity Development for Research


C-POND

Welcome

It is now seven years since C-POND was established in August 2009. In that time, it has built

a solid reputation as the ‘go-to’ place for research around the prevention of non-

communicable diseases in the Pacific Region. Over time, C-POND has broadened its horizons

in a number of ways. It has moved beyond its original focus on obesity to conduct research

across the broader spectrum of NCDs and risk factors. Its research increasingly has been

more regionally focused; its portfolio of projects now spans a large number of Pacific Island

countries. There has also been a growing recognition that NCDs are not just a problem of

concern for the health sector; effective solutions to the NCD crisis must necessarily embrace

all sectors of society and most aspects of our daily lives. As a consequence, C-POND now

engages with areas such as agriculture, trade, transport and industry as well as its more

traditional partners of health and education.

2016 has been a challenging year for C-POND. It has been a year of considerable change and

restructuring at the University level. Some of C-POND’s key long-term projects are moving

towards completion at a time when funding for research is quite constrained. The C-POND

Reference Group is working with the team to ensure its future is secure. The campaign

against the high rates of NCDs in the Pacific Region requires a sustained commitment on

many fronts – strong government leadership, advocacy, appropriate investment in strategic

initiatives, regular monitoring and sound research. C-POND is integral to this campaign in its

fundamental ongoing role of producing the evidence to underpin actions designed to target

NCDs.

Prof. Marj Moodie, Executive Director, C-POND

Professor, Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia


C-POND

Reference Group

The reference group continues to provide extensive support and guidance in the current

operation and future planning for the Centre and we appreciate all their efforts. The Centre

farewelled Professor Ian Rouse who has been the executive director for the reference group

for the past 7 years. The Centre also acknowledges Prof Boyd Swinburn’s continuous

support for the group as the executive director while stepping down from this position and

congratulates Prof Marj Moodie as the new executive director along with Dr William May

this year. We also welcomed Associate Professor Collin Bell as a new member from Deakin

University.

Full membership of the group is tabulated below:

Members Organisations

Dr William May

(Executive Director)

Dean – College of Medicine, Nursing and Health

Sciences, Fiji National University

Prof. Marj Moodie

(Executive Director)

Professor & Co-Head at Deakin Health

Economics,Deakin University, Melbourne,

Australia

Prof. Boyd Swinburn Professor of Population Nutrition and Global

Health at the University of Auckland, Alfred

Deakin Professor; Co-Director, WHO Collaborating

Centre for Obesity Prevention at the Deakin

University, Melbourne, Australia

Prof. Satu Viali Cardiologist and Specialist Physician, Samoa

Dr. Viliami Puloka Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand

Dr. Wendy Snowdon Team Coordinator – Pacific NCD and Health

through the Life-Course, Division of Pacific

Technical Support, World Health Organization

(WHO),) South Pacific Office, Suva,Fiji

Dr. Isimeli Tukana National NCD Adviser, Ministry of Health, Fiji

A/Prof. Colin Bell Associate Professor of Public Health at Deakin

University's School of Medicine and Deputy

Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for


C-POND

Obesity Prevention at Deakin University,

Melbourne, Australia

Dr. Tenneth Dalipanda Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Solomon

Islands

Dr. Temo Waqanivalu NCD Program Officer, World Health Organization

(WHO), Geneva, Switzerland

Dr. Stevenson Kuartei Private General Practitioner, Palau

Dr. Gregory Dever Regional Human Resources for Health (HRH)

Coordinator, Pacific Islands Health Officer’s

Association (PIHOA)

Dr. Paula Vivili Director, Public Health Division

Noumea, Pacific Community (SPC)

Dr. Graham Roberts Director, Human Resources for Development

Alliance

Dr. Teuila Percival Director Pacific Health Unit, University of

Auckland

Mrs Jimaima Schultz Specialist Consultant in Nutrition

Mrs Gade Waqa Assistant Professor NCD, College of Medicine,

Nursing and Health Science,Fiji National Univerity;

PhD Student, C-POND

Dr. Ilisapeci Kubuabola C-POND Director

Dr. Jillian Wate C-POND Deputy Director

Susana Lolohea C-POND Adminstrative Officer (ex officio- Sec)

Staffing and Students

At the beginning of the year, the team expanded acquiring more short term personnel for

the sodium project till mid-year. This project ended on 31 December, 2016. Currently, the

Centre has 7 staff and a PhD student. By the last quarter of the year, our PhD student (Gade

Waqa) was appointed as the Assistant Professor in Primary Health Care (NCD) under the

School of Public Health & Primary Care. The Centre continues to support numerous Masters

and PhD students from collaborating Institutions.


C-POND

Team picture: from left to right: Back row: Jeremaia Coriakula, Nukuciri Lewabere, Susana Lolohea, Pauline Vosataki, Catherine Latu, Peni Dovi Front row: Roneta Ratumaitavuki, Arleen Sukhu, Astika Prasad, Ilisapeci Kubuabola, Jillian Wate, Gade Waqa, Michelle Fong

Projects

In 2016 a number of consultancies and research projects started or finished, while others

are still underway. The Centre continues to produce C-POND newsletters which contains

detailed reports of the research findings and project updates and should be referred to for

additional project-related information. A summary of project activities is provided below.


C-POND

Projects /Consultancies Overview Status

Underway

Cost Effectiveness of Sodium

Reduction Interventions in Pacific

Island Countries.

Fiji Component – Fiji Sodium

Intervention Assessment (FSIA)

This three year

NHMRC/GACD

research project led by

the George Institute

measured the impact

of interventions

through baseline and

follow-up assessment

of sodium intake. It

also assessed the costs

of salt reduction

interventions in Fiji

and Samoa.

The Fiji project is

managed by the

Centre.

The FSIA project has entered its

final phase. The project

commenced in 2013 with the

collection of the baseline data

followed by the intervention phase

in 2014, which was informed

through the findings of the baseline

phase. The project proceeded with

its final monitoring and follow-up

from July 2015 and was successfully

completed the project in 2016. A

summary report is planned to be

handover to the Ministry of Health

in early 2017.

Countries Involved: Fiji and Samoa

Centre of Research Excellence for

Obesity and food systems

This five year NHMRC

Centre of Research

Excellence for food

policy and Obesity

includes a Pacific

stream focusing on

food policy processes

and impacts.

CRE project is in progress. Data

collection and analysis is underway

for the policy impact study in Fiji

and in Tonga.

Countries Involved: Fiji and Tonga

Pacific Monitoring Alliance for

NCD Actions (MANA)

https://twitter.com/PacificMANA1

Funded by NZ grant

through University of

Auckland to develop

Pacific MANA including

the food and

environment

component.

Pacific MANA governance and

coordinating group were endorsed

at the Pacific Islands Heads of

Health (HOH) Meeting in February

2015. Terms of Reference were

developed for the coordinating

group. A Pacific NCD dashboard

https://twitter.com/PacificMANA1


C-POND

was developed to cover monitoring

and surveillance in the Pacific

Island countries.

Work on the further development

of NCD Dashboard continues in

2016. The NCD dashboard was

presented again at the HOH

meeting in 2016 for their input. The

NCD dashboard has gone through a

technical input and revision phase

in 2016. Additionally, this year the

coordinating team started piloting

the dashboard in the Pacific Island

countries, with plans to present

update in the next HOH meeting.

Countries Involved: 22 Pacific Island

Countries

Short Term Projects

Food taxation in Pacific Small

Island Developing States

Funded by FAO, the

work was for 3 months

The countries involved are Tonga

and Palau. Proposal preparation

completed and contracts have been

finalized and work will progress

early next year.

Improving the evidence-based

policy for greater nutritional

security in Cook Islands

Funded by WHO This work was for Cook Islands.

Technical support has been

provided for the assessment of

school food provision but waiting

import and revenue data for

analysis.

Consultancies Completed

The Practical Salt Guideline for the

Pacific.

Funded by WHO Handbook completed and

submitted to WHO

May – July 2016


C-POND

Health Impact Assessment (HIA)

on the draft regulation

‘Advertising and Promotion of

Unhealthy Foods and Non-

Alcoholic Beverages to Children

Regulation’ in Fiji.

Collaborative work

with University of

Sydney, C-POND and

Australian National

University.

Haris P, Wate J, Friel J (2016). A

Health Impact Assessment on the

Draft Regulation “Advertising and

Promotion of Unhealthy Foods and

Non- Alcoholic Beverages to

Childern in Fiji. Available :

http://hdl.handle.net/2123/14998

August 2015 – January 2016

Institutional Context Assessment

(ICA) for NCD Prevention and

Control in Fiji

UNDP Funded Completed and report submitted

back to UNDP

8 April – 1 December 2016

Evaluation of diabetic-foot care

training program.

Funded by FHSSP Completed data collection and

analysis, report to be submitted in

2017

16 September 2016 – 31 March

2017

Finance

During the 2016 calendar year, C-POND brought in FJD 513,307 through research grants and

project income. (Note that for projects which span multiple years, the 2016 component was

calculated on a pro rata basis).

Other Activities

Staffs from C-POND are also members of the following:

College Health Research Ethics Committee (CHREC)

College Academic Board

College Occupational Health Safety Committee

Department of Research Committee (DRC)

Food Taskforce Technical Advisory Group (FT – TAG)

Pacific Island Public Health Association

NCD Specialist Interest Group (SIG)

Mental Specialist Interest Group

Pacific Health Information Network

Pacific Monitoring Alliance for NCD Action (MANA) – C-POND as a member of the

MANA Coordinating Team

http://hdl.handle.net/2123/14998


C-POND

Health and Wellness Committee, CMNHS

External Advisory Committee for the Childrens’ Healthy Living Program (CHL)

College Academic Board (CAB)

The 6th issue of C-POND’s newsletter was produced this year and has been added to our

website. In addition, Centre staff has been involved in publication, conference

presentations, technical reports, and coordinating workshops. These are listed below:

Publications in Refereed Journals

Mialon M, Swinburn B, Wate J, Tukana I, Sack G. Analysis of the corporate political

activity of major food industry actors in Fiji. Globalization and Health. 2016; 12:18;

doi: 10.1186/s12992-016-0158-8.

Sinclair R, Millar L, Allender S, Snowdon W, Waqa G, Jacka F, Moodie M, Petersen S,

Swinburn B. (2016) The Cross-Sectional Association between Diet Quality and

Depressive Symptomology amongst Fijian Adolescents. PLoS ONE 11(8): e0161709.

doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0161709.

Technical Reports

Harris P, Wate J and Friel S. (April 2016). A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) on the

draft regulation ‘Advertising & Promotion of Unhealthy Foods and Non-Alcoholic

Beverages to Children in Fiji’. Menzies Centre for Health Policy: University of Sydney,

Australian National University, and Fiji National University.

Papers presented at conferences/symposia

Waqa G, Moodie M, Bell C, Snowdon W, Allender S, Latu C, Coriakula J. Applying

Systems Approaches in Low-Middle Income Countries. Invited speaker to the pre-

conference satellite on ‘Obesity Prevention: Advances in Systems Approaches’ on

30th April, 2016 at the Century-Plaza Hotel and Spa, Vancouver.

Waqa G, Bell C, Snowdon W, Allender S, Moodie M. A Systems Approach to Food-

related Policy Making and Implementation in Fiji – Poster presented at the

International Congress on Obesity on 1st – 4th May 2016, Vancouver Convention

Centre, Canada.

Latu C, Coriakula J, Snowdon W, Moodie M, Bell C. Barriers and Facilitators to Food

Policy Implementation in Fiji. – Poster presentation at International Congress on

Obesity on 1st – 4th May, 2016, Vancouver, Canada.

Coriakula J, Moodie M, Waqa G, Latu C, Snowdon W, Bell C. Import Duty of Palm Oil:

A case study of policy making in Fiji. Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium,

Holiday Inn, Suva, Fiji, 14th – 15th September, 2016.

Waqa G, Moodie M, Snowdon W, Bell C, Allender S, Latu C and Coriakula J. Adopting

Systems approach to support food-related policy-making in Fiji. Invited speaker at


C-POND

the 48th Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health conference on Sep 16-

19, 2016 at Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan.


A case study of policy making in Fiji. The Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society

(ANZOS), Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia, 19th – 21st

October, 2016.

Miscellaneous presentations at Workshops/Conference

Waqa G, Moodie M, Snowdon W, Allender S, Bell C. A Systems Approach to Food-

related Policy Making and Implementation in Fiji. Presented during the CMNHS

Deans Forum for Research Byte on 18th May 2016 at the Pasifika Campus, Suva, Fiji.

Kubuabola I. Pacific NCD Monitoring and Surveillance. Pacific Heads of Health

Meeting. Grand Pacific Hotel. Suva, Fiji, April 2016.

Kubuabola I. Confronting the NCD Crisis as an Alliance. MRL Reference Meeting.

Novotel, Suva. April 2016.

Pillay A. Fiji Sodium Intervention Assessment Project Overview. Presented to SPC,

Pacific Community Office, Suva, Fiji, May 2016.

Kubuabola I. A Pacific Monitoring Alliance of Non-communicable disease. Pacific NCD

Summit, Tonga, 20-22 June 2016.

Latu C, Coriakula J, Waqa G, Moodie M, Snowdon W, Bell C. Assessing food policies

for obesity and NCD prevention in Fiji: what are the barriers and facilitators to

developing policies?. Presented during the CMNHS Deans Forum for Research Byte

on the 20th July 2016 at the Pasifika Campus, Suva, Fiji.

Waqa G. Supporting food-related policymaking in Fiji. Invited speaker to the National

Nurse Practitioners workshop on 31st August 2016 at the Pearl Resort, Fiji


A case study of policy making in Fiji. Presented during the CMNHS Deans Forum for

Research Byte on 8th September 2016 at the Pasifika Campus, Suva, Fiji.

Waqa G. The processes of policymaking in Fijis Ministry of Health and Medical

Services. Invited speaker to the National Nursing Scientific Conference on 21st July

2016 at the Pearl Resort, Fiji.


C-POND

Photo Gallery

Some snapshots of activities during the year

Gade Waqa as an invited speaker together with experts and professors in System Thinking Dr Peter Hovman

and Prof Boyd Swinburn at the International Congress on Obesity Prevention (ICO) organized by the World

Obesity in Vancouver Canada

Jeremaia Coriakula presented his paper at the Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium (PIHRS) in Suva.


C-POND

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the support of our C-POND reference group throughout the year in providing their critical guidance. Additionally, we thank Fiji National University and Deakin University for their continuing support towards the Centre. We acknowledge all our collaborating partners and individuals. Finally, a big thank-you to the members of the C-POND team for their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm in the research work on obesity and non-communicable diseases in the region.

For any queries please email: [email protected] and for further information

please follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPONDTamavua

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cpondpacific1 & Website: http://www.fnu.ac.fj

https://www.facebook.com/CPONDTamavua

https://twitter.com/cpondpacific1

http://www.fnu.ac.fj/

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