Rate My Professor Collin Tukuitonga

Sir Collin Tukuitonga is a professor in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, where he serves as the inaugural Associate Dean Pacific. Of Niuean descent, he is a public health scholar with extensive experience in Pacific and international health. He completed his medical degree (MBBS) at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji and earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Sydney. His career includes roles as Director of Public Health at the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, and Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community from 2014 to 2020. In 2020, he joined the University of Auckland as Associate Dean Pacific and Associate Professor of Public Health, later advancing to full professor. He has also held positions such as Coordinator of Surveillance of Noncommunicable Diseases for the World Health Organization in Geneva and chairs the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.

Tukuitonga’s research focuses on public health issues affecting Pacific communities, including non-communicable diseases, health inequalities among Māori and Pasifika peoples, and Pacific health policy. He has contributed to numerous publications in journals such as The New Zealand Medical Journal and The Lancet, addressing topics like sudden infant death syndrome in Pacific infants, breast cancer epidemiology, and tobacco control in Pacific Island countries. His honors include appointment as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022 for services to Pacific and public health, making him the first Niuean to hold both a knighthood and a professorial title. He has served on the Public Health Advisory Committee and as a Fellow of the International Science Council. Tukuitonga is recognized for his advocacy in reducing health disparities and his leadership in Pacific health initiatives at national and international levels.