Motivation Australia and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance recently collaborated to deliver an intermediate level, wheelchair training course for 20 Fijian, Ni-Vanuatu and I-Kiribati personnel in Suva, Fiji. Intermediate level wheelchair services provide wheelchairs with extra support for children and adults…
We met Ellen during the recent basic wheelchair service training where she was being fitted for a new wheelchair. At 39 years of age, Ellen is not new to the wheelchair prescription process. Unable to walk since being admitted to…
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…
“I think I’ve learned so much during this two weeks of training, I strongly believe that it will help VSPD to improve our services” Motivation Australia recently facilitated a ten-day Wheelchair Service Training Package – basic level (WSTPb) in Vanuatu,…
Motivation Australia (MA) personnel have been involved in supporting wheelchair service provision in the Solomon Islands for many years. Last month MA trainers were pleased to return and continue to build on the capacity of personnel from the Rehabilitation Division…
Need for services Tonga’s civil society organisations, people with disabilities and disabling health conditions have expressed their need for improved rehabilitation services and appropriate mobility devices (including prosthetic and orthotic devices). The Ministry of Health recognise this demand and have…
Motivation Australia’s recent work in Kiribati has been across two projects; the Pacific Mobility Device Service (MDS) Project, and the Kiribati Amputation Prevention (KAP) Project. In February, Katrina McGrath was able to visit partners in Kiribati for: The final KAP…
Intermediate level wheelchair service training builds the capacity of personnel to provide wheelchairs and supportive seating for children and adults who need additional postural support. A recent children’s wheelchair clinic in Vanuatu aimed to extend the skills, knowledge and confidence…
The situation: a whole island in Vanuatu was evacuated due to increased volcanic activity “We were at church…and we noticed ash falling down. We thought ‘the volcano has fired up’. A man came to tell us that we needed to…
Vilisi was referred by the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) to receive a wheelchair during Motivation Australia’s basic wheelchair service training in Fiji in May 2017; her first wheelchair since her surgery. During a follow up visit after receiving the wheelchair,…
The situation: people in PNG face challenges in accessing appropriate accessing technology that meets their needs. Assistive Technology (AT) includes any item, piece of equipment or product that helps a person carry out daily tasks and activities. It is intended…
Motivation Australia is delighted to be actively contributing to the development of TAP, an online learning resource by the World Health Organisation’s Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE). TAP aims to support global efforts to increase access to Assistive Technology;…
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…
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…
“I feel very happy… I learned a lot… I feel more comfortable and more confident to face people.” Shares Setu Tiatia, a member of Nuanua O le Alofa (NOLA), the national disability advocacy organisation in Samoa, and a key part…
In September this year Motivation Australia (MA) visited Kiribati to work with the Tungaru Rehabilitation Service (TRS) and Tungaru Central Hospital’s Diabetic Foot Clinic (DFC). MA worked with TRS to introduce and implement a new data system within TRS. This…
In September this year, Motivation Australia (MA) traveled to Fiji to work with the Frank Hilton Organisation (FHO) Physiotherapy Department to develop and trial a Safe Transfers Training package. The MA team worked with the FHO Physiotherapy team to refine…
Motivation Australia (MA) has been working closely with the Vanuatu Society for People with Disabilities (VSPD), the Vanuatu Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Ministry of Justice and Community Services (MOJCS) to strengthen mobility device services (MDS) in Vanuatu through…
During late September and early October 2017, Motivation Australia and our Ni-Vanuatu partners were able to respond to the evacuation of the residents of the island of Ambae, due to our previous partnership work strengthening walking aid and wheelchair services…
Following the recent evacuation of the entire population of the island of Ambae in Vanuatu, Motivation Australia has been working alongside our Ni-Vanuatu partners the Vanuatu Society for Persons with Disabilities (VSPD), the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of…