Samoa

Current programmes

The Samoa Integrated Mobility Device Services (SIMDES) project is a four year (2014 – 2018) collaboration between the Samoa National Health Service (NHS), NOLA (Nuanua O Le Alofa) and Motivation Australia; funded by the Australian Government. This project is working to create consistent, equitable and sustainable access to appropriate mobility device provision for women, men, girls and boys with a mobility disability in Samoa.

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework project is a collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD). It is focused on developing data collection tools that will assist the MWCSD to measure and learn about the impact of its work on creating a human-rights based, inclusive and barrier free society which advocates for and empowers people with disability.

Background

2011: Motivation Australia in collaboration with NOLA conducted an initial research study visit to Samoa in September 2011, which fed into the design of a larger programme called the Samoa Disability Programme (SDP), funded by Australia Aid.

2013: The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) then contracted Motivation Australia to write a detailed design for a project specifically to create a Mobility Devices Service in Samoa. Following the completion of consultations with the NHS, NGO disability stakeholders and NOLA in October 2013, Motivation Australia submitted the project design document to DFAT. This project design became our current SIMDES project which is outcome 3(i) of the larger SDP project, both funded by Australia Aid.

2017: The SIMDES project to establish a Mobility Device Service at Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital in Apia is almost complete. Services to provide wheelchairs, walking aids, prosthetic and orthotic devices are all now being delivered independently by Samoan NHS staff.

Conference delegates listening to a presenter off screen. In the fore ground are two women in colourful dresses.

Rehabilitation and Mobility Conference

Celebrating the Conference Theme: ‘Pacific Leaders creating Sustainable Services’, delegates from nine countries in the Pacific region, inclusive of those who use, provide and manage services worked together to share ideas, discuss and learn about how to build inclusive rehabilitation…
Two Samoan staff adjusting a the knee of a prostheses

Project success in Samoa!

It’s amazing how quickly four years goes by. Motivation Australia is thrilled to have recently completed the Samoa Integrated Mobility Device Service (SIMDES) project which started in 2014. It seems like yesterday that the Samoan National Health Service, Nuanua o…
A group selfie shows 5 women and two men smiling at the camera. The nurses are wearing scrubs. Nalini and Katrina are holding gifts including lavalavas, fans, and flowers.

Diabetic foot care training for community nurses in Samoa

Diabetes and its complications are a large and ever-growing burden within the Pacific Islands. Polynesia and Micronesia have the world’s highest age-standardised diabetes prevalence rate of over 25%, with Melanesia not far behind at 15%¹.  With this high prevalence of…
Podiatrist and nurse dressing diabetic foot ulcer

Case study: Diabetic Foot Care in Samoa

The situation: diabetic foot ulcers were leading to high rates of amputation Pacific Islands account for eight of the top ten in the world for diabetes prevalence. In 2014 Polynesia and Micronesia had the world’s highest age-standardised diabetes prevalence rate…
A woman learning to use her prosthetic leg walking outside her house, supported by one of the MDS staff members.

Review of Samoa’s Prosthetics and Orthotics components and materials

In October Motivation Australia’s Lee and Katrina visited Samoa to undertake a rapid review of the prosthetic and orthotic components and materials that had been procured for the Mobility Device Service (MDS) as part of the Samoa Integrated Mobility Device…

Kicking goals in Samoa: project update

The last five weeks have been busy ones on our project in Samoa. We are very pleased to welcome our new Principal (service manager) to the Mobility Device Service (MDS) team at the Samoa National Health Service. The Principal came on board just in…

Samoa’s MDS continues to thrive!

The Samoan Mobility Device Service (MDS) continues to move from strength to strength. Four wheelchair service personnel are providing competent, quality services to Samoans with a mobility disability. More than 200 people with a disability have received appropriate mobility devices…