University of Auckland centre to become WHO Collaborating Centre

The University of Auckland’s Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Centre for Pacific and Global Health, will be officially launched as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on 10 September. The centre will focus on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and climate change.

This designation recognizes the centre's leadership in advancing Pacific-driven research and policy at the intersection of these two challenges. The launch event will include regional leaders and the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala.

Established three years ago, the centre works on health equity and prevention. One of its major initiatives is a $5.1 million Matariki Fund project aimed at eliminating cervical cancer across the Pacific region.