Fillip for Pacific health

The world's biggest private charity will team up with the New Zealand Government to fund a $17.5 million investment in the health of Pacific people.

Major research programmes will examine the health issues facing Pacific people in their home islands and in New Zealand.

The Wellcome Trust, an international biomedical research-funding agency, will fund half of the research.

Teams comprising leading New Zealand health researchers will tackle programmes in areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hepatitis and asthma.

Health Research Council chief executive Bruce Scoggins said it was a significant investment by the British charity, which spends £500 million ($1550 million) worldwide on research a year.

"It is a terrific initiative ... It will make a real difference."





Health Research Council board member Dr Kiki Maoate said it would be important to help the Pacific countries to build up their own research infrastructure.

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