PORT VILA, FEBRUARY 25th, 2025. Mandated by the Public Service Commission (PSC), a one-week training session on planning and reporting was held in Luganville, Santo from the 17th to 21st February 2025.

The South Santo One area council proudly hosted the graduation ceremony of 17 participants from the Community Leadership Cohort on Thursday 28 November. This significant milestone event was officiated by distinguished guests including Honourable Bridely Livo, President of Sanma Province; Mrs Carol Rovo, Acting Secretary General of Sanma Province; Mrs Sylvie Tapasei, University of South Pacific Senior Officer; Mr Brunton Tari, Public Service Commission Officer; Mr Tony Tataki, Officer in charge of Sanma Provincial Health; Mrs Judith Melsul, Manager of Human Resources, Ministry of Health; Mr Nelson Matavoussi, Area Administrator of South Santo One Area Council; Mr Terry Daniel, Area Administrator of South Santo Two  Area Council and Mr Pierre-Paul Irimel, Nurse Practitioner of Tasmalum Health Centre;

This marks the third cohort to successfully complete the leadership training program, delivered by the Vanuatu Institute of Public Administration and Management (VIPAM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Sanma Province, and with the support of the Australian Government. This locally led professional development program equips participants with essential leadership skills needed to drive health sector reforms and enhance the quality and inclusivity of health services across Vanuatu. It also strengthens partnerships among key health stakeholders, encouraging a shared vision and improved methods of collaboration for health service delivery.

The Ministry of Health initiated this program to enhance leadership and accountability among its senior female officers, and due to its success, extended the program to the provincial level in Sanma Province including male officers. Recognising the importance of community-level leadership, the program was also tailored for 17 participants including 12 men and 5 women from the South Santo One area council, home to the Tasmalum Health Centre, which serves as a pilot site for developing a decentralised primary healthcare model. Health leaders of South Santo Two area council also participated in this training.

The Community Leadership Cohort aims to address challenges and remove barriers to effective healthcare delivery by fostering local solutions that are sustainable and community driven.

Mr. Nelson Matavoussi, Area Administrator of South Santo One, expressed his gratitude for the program, stating, “As a government officer responsible for service delivery to the people of my area council, I greatly appreciate this initiative. It provides essential skills to those managing our health facilities and services, including the health committee. It has brought together healthcare professionals and community leaders to better understand our health system and collaboratively explore ways to deliver quality services to our people.”

The Acting Secretary General of Sanma Province also highlighted the program’s positive impact, saying, “It has been an incredible journey to upskill our leaders in Sanma with relevant professional development to drive health reforms and implement key actions to deliver quality health services to our people.”

To date, the Community Leadership Cohort program has equipped 53 leaders at national, provincial, and community levels, with the leadership skills needed to strengthen health systems and improve service delivery across Vanuatu.

Launch of Community Leadership Cohort in Tasmalum to Strengthen Inclusive Health Services

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Public Service Commission (PSC) through the Vanuatu Institute of Public Administration and Management (VIPAM), has launched the Community Leadership Cohort in Tasmalum, Santo Island, on the 19^th of September 2024.  The orientation program stated this week bringing together 16 individuals with key responsibilities from the South Santo One and Two Area Councils. This leadership training will equip them with leadership skills aimed at enhancing delivery of quality, inclusive health services in their communities.

Mrs Judith Melsul, Human Resources Manager at the Ministry of Health and Mrs. Pala Luen, VIPAM Manager, lead an Australian-funded Community Leadership Cohort in Tasmalum, South Santo

This cohort is the third in a series of leadership development initiatives. Two previous cohorts, comprising 36 officers, including 29 senior female officers and 7 senior male officers, from the Ministry of Health and in Sanma Province. These initiatives are part of an ongoing effort to improve leadership capacity within the health sector at the national, provincial, and community levels.

The leadership initiative, funded by the Vanuatu-Australia Partnership, focuses on professional development of the participants in the areas of understanding the overarching policies of the government systems at multiple levels, understanding the change of mindset, learning new skills in collaborative work, identifying opportunities for increased synergy, and addressing local challenges in a cost-effective manner. The program emphasises effective communication, knowledge of colleagues to strengthen teamwork, and a deep understanding of the local context to foster impactful, community-led solutions.

Sanma Province and South Santo One are the first regions to benefit from this initiative, with Tasmalum Health Centre serving as the pilot site. This locally-led initiative models a decentralised approach to primary health care, providing empirical testing of solutions designed to deliver efficient and effective health services.

"It is important to break barriers and bring leaders together to discuss strategies for delivering quality services," said Mrs Judith Melsul, Human Resources Manager at the Ministry of Health.

VIPAM’s Manager, Mrs. Pala Luen, also praised the initiative: "I commend the leadership of the Ministry of Health, the Sanma Provincial Government, and the Department of Local Authorities for partnering with PSC/VIPAM to support community leaders in gaining new leadership skills. This initiative is a key step toward ensuring that the leaders will change their mindset and increase their capacity to improve the quality services required."

This leadership program is part of the Ministry of Health's broader efforts to ensure that health services across Vanuatu are delivered effectively, inclusively, and sustainably, with a strong emphasis on community-driven leadership and capacity building.