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…
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…
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…
Motivation Australia’s (MA), Larissa Burke visited Samoa in October 2017 to work with stakeholders and a local team to prepare to undertake qualitative interviews with those who have been provided with a prosthetic or long term orthotic from the National…
The Samoan National Health Service’s Mobility Device Service (MDS) will take another big step forward in the New Year with the much anticipated launch of Prosthetics and Orthotics services! The end of November saw a surge of activity with the…
In 2014 the International Diabetes Federation reported that Pacific Island countries account for eight of the top ten countries in the world for diabetes prevalence, with some rates as high as 37%. The increasing burden diabetes is placing on social…
Motivation Australia is pleased to report the successful completion of the 2014 Basic Level Wheelchair and Walking Aid training course. The training was held at the new Mobility Device Service (MDS) in Apia, Samoa, and was completed by 16 personnel from…
Motivation Australia’s six week wheelchair and walking aid training course is in its final week; the Level 2 Service Provision training course has focused on the knowledge and skills required to provide basic level wheelchairs and walking aids for adults with a mobility disability. 16 trainees from…
The Samoa Integrated Mobility Device Services (SIMDES) project has reached the first six month milestone! The four year project (2014 – 2018) is a collaboration between the Samoa National Health Service (NHS), NOLA (Nuanua O Le Alofa) and Motivation Australia,…
We are pleased to announce the beginning of the Samoa Integrated Mobility Device Services (SIMDES) project. This new project will be a four year (2014 – 2018) collaboration between the Samoa National Health Service (NHS), NOLA (Nuanua O Le Alofa)…
The National Health Service of Samoa are trying to address the lack of mobility device services for children and adults with a permanent mobility disability. A brand new facility has been designed and construction is scheduled to commence in the…