Office of the Director Team

Mr Onofre Edwin A. Merilles, Jr team Leader for Surveillance, Preparedness and Response. Epidemiologist by profession, he brings in over 20 years of experience in the management, monitoring and evaluation and improvement of health systems.

Dr Salanieta T Saketa is Senior Epidemiologist and a public health physician with over 20 years of experience both at the operational and strategic levels. A Fijian national, she brings to national technical assistance over 20 years of experience on both communicable and NCDs.

Dr Jocelyn Cabarles is the focal point for PGCFE/DDM courses and supports SPR programme activities. She is an epidemiologist and worked as an M&E advisor on tuberculosis, maternal health, family planning and other issues in the Philippines, PNG and other countries of the region.

Mr Tebuka Toatu, LabNet Coordinator for the North Pacific. A national of Kiribati, he holds a Master of Science in Medicine. While in Kiribati he worked as Director of Laboratory Services and acting HIV/STI coordinator.

Mr Vijesh Lal is a Laboratory Specialist with a background as senior laboratory technologist in pathology. Educated in Medical laboratory technology he holds a Post Grad diplomas in Public Health and in Health Service Management.

Mrs Elise Benyon, Data Processing Officer & PPHSN Focal Point, is from New Caledonia and joined the Division in 1986. Her work is focussed on the PPHSN, subscribing members to PacNet, and undertaking administrative work to support the Surveillance team during meetings and trainings.

Ms Christelle Lepers is Surveillance Information and Communication Officer with over 15 years of experience in communicable disease surveillance and communications during outbreaks. She manages the regional epidemic intelligence system and provides technical assistance in risk communication.

Dr Eka Buadromo: General Pathologist with over 20 years of practice in the region. Served in the field of diagnostic pathology and laboratory management as country’s Chief Pathologist in Fiji and Tonga and offered assistance in other laboratory services in the region including Samoa. Joined the Pacific Community as Senior laboratory adviser leading the laboratory team and supporting trainee pathologist in the region through postgraduate teaching at the Fiji National University.

Mr Shakti Gounder, Surveillance and Research Officer, is from Fiji. He holds a Master of Public Health from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia and brings in extensive communicable disease surveillance experience. While in Fiji, he worked as Communicable Disease Surveillance Officer and Public Health Officer for Tuberculosis. More recently he worked in Melbourne as HIV Surveillance Officer.

Dr Si Thu Win Tin, Team Leader for NCD Programme, is a medical graduate with MPH and PhD from the University of Sydney. He worked as Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, NCD Adviser for SPC, Director of Public Health for Nauru MOH and Public Health Physician for the World Vision and Aide Medical International. He brings wide experience in NCD and international public health, and provides leadership and technical oversight of NCD Team’s technical support to member countries.

Ms Karen Fukofuka, NCD Adviser – Food Security, is a New Zealand trained dietitian by profession with over 15 years in public health nutrition, NCD, food security and policy development.

Ms Elisiva Na’ati, is the NCD adviser, public health nutrition. She is a NZ registered dietitian with years of experience in clinical dietetics and diabetes while working with Ministry of Health in Tonga.

Mrs Solène Bertrand-Protat, NCD adviser - francophone member countries, is a dietician with 15 years’ experience working in health promotion project’s management to address lifestyle-related diseases in the Pacific region.

Dr Ilisapeci Kubuabola, NCD Adviser – Monitoring, Evaluation and Surveillance, is a medical graduate with a Masters in Applied Epidemiology from the Australian National University. Prior to joining SPC she was the Director of the Pacific Research Centre for the Prevention and Control of NCD at the College of Medicine at the Fiji National University. She was also the former Head of School of Public Health; Assistant Professor in Applied Epidemiology; Medical trainee internship programme coordinator at the College of Medicine, FNU and former Senior Medical Officer at the Fiji Centre for Disease Control within the Ministry of Health. She brings with her over 15 years of public health practise, epidemiology and research in both communicable and non-communicable disease and has taught widely in the region in these areas.

Mr Rupeni Nawaqakuta, is the legislative drafting consultant legal adviser. He is reviewing and drafting the NCD legislative framework for Pacific Island countries and territories. The Legislative Framework covers tobacco control, liquor control and marketing of breastmilk substitutes, unhealthy food and sugary drinks to infants and children. 

Dr Berlin Kafoa is the Team Leader for the Clinical Services Program (CSP) at the Public Health Division. His role is to provide leadership, management and technical oversight of the CSP which includes effective international, regional and/or sub-regional collaborations and coordination of clinical services.

Ms Mabel Taoi, is the Programme Coordinator for the Clinical Services Program (CSP). Her role includes providing a help desk for PICTs Ministries of Health, stakeholders and partners with a focus on the development of specialised nursing governance and clinical nursing.

Ms Silina Motofaga, is the Clinical Services Adviser. Her role is to provide technical assistance to the Pacific Clinical Networks and support Clinical Services research and policy development.