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MULINU’U, SAMOA – Doctors, nurses, dentists, and other medical professionals from Pacific Partnership 25 hosted a community health event at the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Mulinu'u, Oct. 26, 2025.
Capt. Mark Stefanik, mission commander of Pacific Partnership 25, was there to oversee the event. “Engagements like this are where the rubber meets the road for Pacific Partnership. This is where our amazing international team of medical professionals gets down to work, doing what they do best to improve the lives of the Samoan people.”
At the request of host nations, the Pacific Partnership team collaborates with partners to develop operations, activities, and investments along the primary lines of effort - medical, engineering, disaster response, and host nation outreach and engagement. This provides opportunities to work with host nations and their local civilian communities to enhance their capacity to manage non-traditional threats and strengthen relationships both internally and externally.
“It’s a privilege to have the U.S. Navy and Pacific Partnership here in Samoa,” said Aumauinuuese “Puni” Sioeli, owner of Pasefika Sports Clinic. “Our country has basic health care, but programs like Pacific Partnership help elevate the standard of care and show what’s possible for our people. As more Samoans return home to retire, we need the kind of advanced support and collaboration that Pacific Partnership brings. Their presence reminds our government and community how vital it is to invest in better health services for the next generation.”
U.S. and partner nation medical personnel performed health screenings, vision tests, dental exams, and educational presentations on first aid, nutrition, and other important topics. The event also hosted tables selling goods made by victims of domestic violence, games and activities for children, and a performance by the Pacific Partnership 25 band.
Many Pacific Partnership personnel lined up to donate blood at a Red Cross station that was also part of the event. Nurse Goretti Wulf, health coordinator for the Samoa Red Cross, emphasized how acute the demand for blood is in this country. “Whatever blood we collect today will all be used by tomorrow if not by tonight. One pint can save three to four people’s lives. It’s precious,” said Nurse Wulf. She added that at a recent event, the Red Cross collected 25 pints of blood, and it was all used within a day.
The Pacific Partnership 25 mission brings a unique opportunity for collaboration and cooperation to the Indo-Pacific in a deliberate, sustainable, and transparent way by working to enhance the knowledge, experience, and capacity of all participants.
Lonee Toga, a community officer for the Samoa Victims Support Group, attended the event with many of the domestic violence victims that her organization supports. “Domestic violence was Samoa’s top public health and safety concern, said Toga, who emphasized the value of partnering with Pacific Partnership to provide services to those most in need. The most important thing is to provide healing for the mental and physical wounds domestic violence causes, enable healing within families, and empower people to speak out against domestic violence,” she said.
Pacific Partnership, in its 21st iteration, is the U.S. Navy’s largest maritime humanitarian and civic assistance mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission team works alongside partners and allies to strengthen relationships, bolster host nation capacity to provide essential humanitarian services, and support efforts to reduce the risk of, prepare for, and respond to disasters. The PP25 team is led by U.S. Navy Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, commander of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 31, serving as the mission commander.
| Date Taken: | 10.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2025 22:49 |
| Story ID: | 550728 |
| Location: | MULINU’U, WS |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pacific Partnership 25 Medical Professionals Host Community Health Event in Samoa, by ENS Alexis VanBuren, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
