Regional address at the 16th Pacific Society for Reproductive Health Biennial Conference

It is a profound honour to join the Pacific Society for Reproductive Health conference here in Tonga.

As WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, I had the privilege of speaking at many international forums, yet standing here today in my homeland before fellow Pacific leaders, health workers and friends is especially meaningful. 

I am deeply humbled to be part of this important occasion. 

For many years, I attended global and regional meetings as Tonga's representative. 

Today, I return home in a different role, yet with the same heart – a proud Tongan – with the same values and the same belief in the strength, resilience and wisdom of our Pacific peoples. 

This moment is not only professional, it is personal. 

It reminds me of where my journey began and of the Pacific family that shaped my purpose. 

So please forgive me if I sound a little more proud than usual. 

I am simply grateful to be home and among Pacific colleagues and friends. 

As many of you have already discovered, when Tongans host an event, they do not just welcome their guests. 

They feed them so well that they start reconsidering their return flight! 

But in all seriousness, it is a privilege to gather here under the theme “Fakakaukau ki he kahaʻu" – Thinking towards the future: Building and sustaining the Pacific SRH workforce through strengthened regional collaboration.

And there is perhaps no better lens through which to think about our future than sexual and reproductive health. 

Because this is not simply a health issue, it is about life itself. 

It is about the health of women and girls. 

It is about the well-being of families and communities. 

It is about dignity, opportunity and hope. 

And ultimately, it is about the future of our Pacific peoples. 

When I think about reproductive health, I do not first think about policies, programmes or statistics. 

I think about the women who shaped our lives. 

Mothers who nurture families. 

Grandmothers who preserve culture and wisdom. 

Nurses and midwives who care for communities. 

Teachers who inspire future generations. 

Across the Pacific, women have always been among the strongest foundations of our societies. 

Supporting their health and well-being is not only a health priority, it is an investment in the future of every family, every community and every nation. 

In Tonga, there is a saying: “Ko e fa’unga ‘o e fonua ko e fānau." – The foundation of a nation is its children. 

If the future of our nation rests upon our children, then the health and well-being of women, mothers, newborns, adolescents and young people must remain among our highest priorities. 

Yet significant challenges remain. 

Across the Pacific, we continue to face high rates of sexually transmitted infections. 

HIV is not a distant issue. It is a growing concern within our Pacific family, affecting communities across the region. 

The recent HIV symposium in Fiji was a clear reminder of both the scale and urgency of this challenge. 

Too many girls become mothers before they are ready. 

As WHO Regional Director, I had the privilege of visiting countries and communities across our Region. 

I see both encouraging progress and persistent inequalities. 

I see countries advancing cervical cancer elimination, improving maternal care, and investing in the health of young people. 

But I also see maternal mortality remains unacceptably high in parts of our Region. 

Many communities, particularly in remote islands, continue to struggle with shortages of midwives, nurses and skilled birth attendants. 

Health systems struggling not only to train enough health workers but also to retain them. 

Geography should never determine whether a woman survives childbirth, whether a young person can access accurate health information, or whether essential health services are available when they are needed most. 

But colleagues, if we are honest, closing these gaps will require more than services, supplies or staffing. 

These are essentials, but they are only part of the solution. 

Sexual and reproductive health touches something deeper. 

It touches our culture. 

It touches relationships. 

It touches power, dignity, gender equality, human rights and our shared responsibility to care for one another. 

And that is why some of the conversations we need to have remain difficult. 

For too long, some issues have been considered "taboo." 

Yet the word "taboo" comes from our own Pacific word – tapu. 

Somewhere along the way, many came to associate taboo with silence, embarrassment or subject best left unspoken. 

But that was never the original meaning of tapu. 

It was never about shame. It was never about silence. 

Tapu refers to something sacred, something deserving care, respect and attention. 

And what is sacred should not be pushed to the margins. 

It should be placed at the centre of our conversation. 

When we avoid discussions about adolescent health, gender-based violence, sexual abuse, HIV or reproductive rights, silence does not protect us. 

Silence simply allows problems to grow. 

This is why another Pacific value is so important: Talanoa. 

Talanoa is not simply talking. It is listening. It is building trust. 

It is sharing honestly, and learning from one another. 

In many ways, reproductive health requires more talanoa. 

More listening to women. More listening to young people. 

More listening to communities. And more listening across generations. 

That brings me back to the Tongan story of Maui Kisikisi. 

Some would say he was too curious. Too bold. Too willing to challenge convention. 

But every generation-needs people who ask difficult questions. 

Every generation needs young leaders who see the possibilities that others cannot. 

Today, when I look around this room, I see those future leaders. 

Researchers, doctors, midwives, nurses, community advocates and policy-makers. 

These young people will carry this work forward long after many of us have stepped aside. 

We should not tell them to wait. 

Our responsibility is to prepare them, trust them and create opportunities for them to lead. 

We see that leadership reflected in the commitment of Your Royal Highness as Honorary Patron of the Advancing Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. 

You have demonstrated a strong commitment to the health and well-being of women and girls across Tonga and the Pacific. 

Throughout Pacific cultures, women have long served as custodians of family well-being, cultural heritage and community strength. 

Your presence here today reminds us that leadership is exercised, not only through institutions, but also through service, compassion and personal example. 

Your dedication sends a powerful message – that leadership grows stronger when one generation intentionally invests in the next, creating the conditions for others to step forward and lead. 

In the Pacific, we often compare our collective journey to a canoe crossing a vast ocean. 

The canoe moves forward only when everyone paddles together in the same direction. 

The same is true for reproductive health. 

Governments, communities, health workers, researchers, traditional leaders, faith leaders, women and young people all hold a paddle. 

Our future depends on how well we pull together. 

As we begin this conference, let us be courageous enough to talanoa what matters. 

Let us create space for honest talanoa. 

Let us invest in the next generation. 

And let us ensure that every woman, every adolescent and every child have the opportunity to live a healthy and dignified life. 

I leave you with a Tongan proverb that captures the spirit of our Pacific way: “Pikipiki hama-kae vaevae manava." – Bind together the outriggers of the canoe and share one spirit and one purpose. 

And perhaps that is exactly what reproductive health calls us to do – to paddle together. To listen to one another. To learn from one another. 

And to leave behind a healthier future than the one we inherit. 

May that spirit guide our talanoa this week. 

May it guide our partnership. 

May it guide our leadership. 

And may it guide our work for reproductive health, for our women, for our young people, and for generations yet to come. 

I wish you all a successful and productive conference rich in learning, partnership and meaningful talanoa – as together we shape a healthier future for our Pacific peoples. 

Mālō ʻaupito. Thank you.