Celebrating the arrival of their new van.
Driving change for healthier communities
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is taking diabetes prevention, health education and screening directly to communities across Samoa.
A new van funded through the 10,000 Toes Campaign, an initiative of Adventist Health, will be used in urban and rural communities across the islands of Upolu and Savai‘i.
10,000 Toes Campaign coordinator Pamela Townend said the van would enable trained ambassadors to take health services to people where they live, work, worship and gather, rather than relying on people to attend clinics or organised events.
“This van is much more than a vehicle,” Mrs Townend said. “It is a mobile health hub that will allow our ambassadors to go where the people are, bringing education, hope, screening and support directly into communities across Samoa.
“It represents our ongoing commitment to reducing the impact of diabetes and improving health outcomes throughout the Pacific.”
Ben Tofilau, director of health for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Samoa, said the van would support the church’s response to the significant burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Samoa.
“It will help us place greater focus on prevention and address some of the major health challenges in Samoa, particularly non-communicable diseases,” he said.
The van will be used for health training, exercise programs, healthy cooking demonstrations and other community service.
Mr Tofilau said one of their goals is for every local Adventist church to become a health and medical hub, providing health education and encouraging healthier lifestyles.
“Samoa is facing a major health crisis, and we believe the church has an important role to play—not only in helping our members live healthier lives, but also in supporting the wider community,” he said.
“By focusing on prevention and early intervention, we hope to contribute to reducing the burden of NCDs and, in turn, help reduce the significant costs of overseas medical treatment.”
