Pharmac celebrates Pacific excellence at SunPix Pacific Peoples Awards

Te Pātaka Whaioranga – Pharmac is honoured to have been able to help celebrate leadership and excellence in Pacific communities at the 2023 SunPix Pacific Peoples Awards in Auckland.

This annual event is the largest Pacific people's awards ceremony in New Zealand. It celebrates and recognises excellence in many areas, including social well-being, health, education, leadership, business, and technology.

Pharmac partnered with SunPix to sponsor the Pacific Service Excellence Award. This award celebrates an organisation making an essential contribution to Pacific communities in their work.

The two winners of the award were:

• K'aute Pasifika Trust(external link) – A charitable trust based in Hamilton that provides Pasifika communities health, education, employment and social services.
• Analiese Robertson from Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa. Analiese has an extensive tertiary education and community development background, with over 20 years working in the adult literacy field before moving into the sector capability development space.

"Te Pātaka Whaioranga was privileged to celebrate the amazing work of both winners and their impact on improving the health and wellbeing of Pacific peoples in Aotearoa. This aligns with our commitment to improving Pacific health, through medicine and medical devices equity”, says Lemalu Alexa Masina, Principal Advisor - Pacific Health.

Analiese Robertson says it was a surprise to be honoured. “This is the first award I have ever received and there is discomfort in receiving such an award, but it has been transformational, powerful and humbling to be recognised by my community and peers.  It is also a recognition of my family’s sacrifices across my 30-year career and service.”

She also acknowledged Pharmac’s role in recognising contributions of leadership and excellence in Pacific communities. "This a different perception I have of Pharmac's work, and it shows a different side of their work of promoting Pacific health and well-being."

The Deputy Chair of Pharmac’s Consumer Advisory Committee)(external link) was also honoured at SunPix, receiving the Pacific Emerging Leadership award.

“It is wonderful to see our Pacific young people’s work and leadership recognised.  They bring strong, unique perspectives and insights to the issues and solutions we need to address, and Nele definitely lends her voice in both the work she does with Pharmac and across the other spaces she serves in,” says Alexa Masina.

"SunPix provides a fantastic platform to celebrate Pacific people's service and excellence in Aotearoa New Zealand. While there are only a few winners we benefit from the sharing of their stories, challenges and achievements; they make us stronger and promote hope, service, and excellence, it is a great event that promotes just that.”   

The event will feature on TVNZ1 at 9:30 am on Saturday, 18 November 2023.