Dame Cindy and Sir Collin Tukuitonga, of Wellsford, KNZM for services to Pacific and public health
Sir Collin Tukuitonga has made a significant contribution to the health and welfare of Pacific people. Sir Collin is the inaugural Associate Dean (Pacific) in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. Between 2014 and 2020, he was the Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, a regional intergovernmental organisation based in Noumea that works with several parties in the Pacific region. He was Chief Executive of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs between 2007 and 2012. He was a founder of the first Pacific community-owned health clinic – The Fono. In 2006 and 2007 he was Associate Professor of Public Health and Head of International at the University of Auckland, where he initiated their International Health programme. From 2003 to 2006 he worked for the World Health Organisation in Geneva, developing international policies for the control of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. He was the New Zealand Director of Public Health between 2001 and 2003, leading the national response to the threat of SARS. In the 1990s, he was key in the establishment of the Department of Māori and Pacific Health at the University of Auckland. Sir Collin has been a key contributor to the national COVID-19 response, especially in relation to Pacific communities regarding information dissemination and ensuring high vaccination rates.