National University of Samoa

Climate change is impacting Pacific Island food systems, reducing household food security, resilience and economic stability. This study examines climate change impacts on taro food loss in Upolu, Samoa, and Tongatapu, Tonga, focusing on postharvest handling and strategies to improve food security. It compares taro farmer climate change perceptions, postharvest handling and losses to highlight similarities and differences in taro farming practices in Samoa and Tonga. Data for this study were collected through farmer interviews and taro shelf-life analysis. Seventy farmers were surveyed, and eight were shadowed from harvest to sale. The study findings reveal that climate change factors including shifting rainfall patterns and extreme weather events exacerbate postharvest losses. Non-climatic factors such as labor shortages, poor handling, limited transportation, and poor storage practices are primary factors also contributing to the affordability and availability of taro. Farmers have adopted strategies such as the use of early warning systems, prompt harvesting and soil protection practices to mitigate climate change induced losses. By linking climate change, food security, and food loss along the taro value chain, the study enhances understanding of the postharvest handling procedures of taro in Samoa and Tonga and identifies strategies for policies that can provide support for infrastructure development for fostering sustainable, climate-resilient taro farming systems in the Pacific Islands.

This paper presents an automated one-shot bird call classification pipeline designed for rare species absent from large publicly available classifiers like BirdNET and Perch. While these models excel at detecting common birds with abundant training data, they lack options for species with only 1–3 known recordings—a critical limitation for conservationists monitoring the last remaining individuals of endangered birds. To address this, we leverage the embedding space of large bird classification networks and develop a classifier using cosine similarity, combined with filtering and denoising preprocessing techniques, to optimize detection with minimal training data. We evaluate various embedding spaces using clustering metrics and validate our approach in both a simulated scenario with Xeno-Canto recordings and a real-world test on the critically endangered tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), which has no existing classifiers and only three confirmed recordings. The final model achieved 1.0 recall and 0.95 accuracy in detecting tooth-billed pigeon calls, making it practical for use in the field. This open-source system provides a practical tool for conservationists seeking to detect and monitor rare species on the brink of extinction.

The Samoan general election of 2021 provoked an unprecedented constitutional crisis. It represented yet one more symptom in a shaking of the foundations—not just in politics but within the very nature of Samoan society. The nation’s past stability had resided in the cultural virtue of respect, which permeated its key pillars—the church, law and fa’a Samoa (the customary Samoan way of life). There had been several tremors prior to the election. These had involved court cases involving the church where the Congregational Christian Church Samoa was shown to be in the wrong. These tremors and the more substantial shaking brought about by the constitutional crisis pose several awkward questions as regards the way in which the Christian faith and the Samoan cultural way of life–fa’a Samoa—are commonly regarded as more than complimentary. They also call into question the church’s default practice of silence in the face of public issues. Is it now time to nurture and encourage the public role of the faifeau (minister) for the sake of the common good in a time of significant change? In the absence of a prophetic theology, the tremors and shaking of the foundations signify the necessity of taking some further steps in the development of a local public theology.

Introduction Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic worms, transmitted via mosquito bites. Significant global efforts have led to the interruption of LF transmission, with eight of the 16 previously endemic Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) validated by WHO as having eliminated the disease as a public health problem. Post-validation surveillance (PVS) is recommended to verify the absence of a resurgence in transmission; however, there are no guidelines on how to implement such surveillance effectively. Aim This protocol outlines a research study that aims to explore, synthesise, and prioritise the perspectives of LF program staff from LF-eliminated PICTs. The study will focus on identifying the challenges faced in implementing PVS in the PICT settings and determining corresponding context-relevant operational research priorities. Method The study will employ a nominal group technique (NGT) involving representatives from LF-eliminated PICTs. The NGT will adhere to a structured process for generating, ranking, and prioritising ideas, followed by group discussions, debates, and the collation of shared views. Discussion The research will provide insights into the most significant challenges faced in implementing PVS in the PICTs. It will also identify priority areas where operational research is required to inform policy and practice. To our knowledge, this study is the first to apply a rigorous consensus group method to distil challenges and research priorities for LF PVS in PICTs. We expect that this research will inform the development of national and regional LF guidelines.

International literature states that the emphasis of science education should be on inquiry learning, where students are encouraged to construct meaningful understanding of scientific concepts through the use of contextualised instructional strategies. In this paper, the author reports on the findings about the use of faitatala as a contextualised instructional tool in the teaching and learning of science in Samoa. Faitatala in this paper specifically highlights two fundamental processes that are relevant to science education in Samoa. The first explores the processes of faitatala (including active listening and speaking) while the second emphasizes the presentation of information. This paper evolved from recent studies in Year 12 chemistry classrooms which formulated the foundation for this study. Learning is an active participation in class activities, active listening and reflective practices supported by constructive and contextualised instructional strategies (Suaalii & Bhattacharya, 2007; Suaalii, 2013) and positive learning environments (Suaalii, 2021). Therefore, this study explored the implementation of a science course (HTE580) at the Faculty of Education, National University of Samoa. Through interviews and talanoa sessions, the research participants shared their perspectives about the use of the faitatala method in the teaching and learning of science. The findings identified constructive and reflective perceptions about the faitatala method as a teaching tool for science.

The prevalence of obesity-related cardiometabolic disease in Samoa is among the highest globally. While physical activity is a modifiable risk factor for obesity-related disease, little is known about physical activity levels among adult Samoans. Using wrist-worn accelerometer-based devices, this study aimed to characterize physical activity among Samoan adults. Samoan adults (n = 385; 55% female, mean [SD] age 52 [10] y) wore Actigraph GT3X+ devices for 7 to 10days. General linear models were used to examine mean daily minutes of sedentary time, light physical activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity by various participant characteristics. Time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity did not differ statistically between men (88 [5]min; 95% confidence interval [CI], 80-97) and women (78 [4]min; 95% CI, 70-86; P = .08). Women, however, spent more time than men in light physical activity: 380 (7)minutes (95% CI, 367-393) versus 344 (7)minutes (95% CI, 329-358; P < .001). While there were no differences in physical activity by census region, education, or occupation among women, men in urban areas spent significantly less time in moderate to vigorous physical activity than those in peri-urban and rural areas (P = .015). Women with class II/III obesity spent more time in sedentary activities than those with healthy weight or overweight/class I obesity (P = .048). This study characterizes physical activity among Samoan adults and highlights variation by sex, urbanicity, and weight status. In providing initial device-measured estimates of physical activity in Samoa, this analysis establishes a baseline from which the success of future attempts to intervene on physical activity may be assessed.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects approximately 26% of women worldwide and is driven by a complex interplay of factors across individual, relationship/household, community and societal levels. Individual and relationship/household factors are well studied however little empirical evidence exists on factors at the community level that drive IPV which are needed to inform prevention interventions. We conducted a cross-sectional, multi-level analysis of factors associated with women's IPV experience in Samoa using the 2019-20 Demographic and Health Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. We used hierarchical multivariable logistic regression to assess individual, relationship/household and community level effects on women's risk of physical, sexual and/or emotional IPV. The past year prevalence of physical, sexual and/or emotional IPV among women in Samoa was 31.4%. At the individual and relationship/household level, women's employment, witnessing IPV between parents, experiencing physical abuse from a parent, and partner's alcohol use and controlling behaviours were associated with higher risk of IPV. At the community level, higher levels of women with higher education and involved in household decision-making, and higher levels of men in employment were protective against IPV. A complex interplay of factors across individual, relationship/household and community levels are associated with women's experience of IPV in Samoa. Experiences of IPV are embedded within a broader context of violence against children and harmful alcohol use. Community contexts, including women's empowerment and men's employment, are also associated with women's IPV experience in Samoa. These findings not only demonstrate that public health issues such as IPV, violence against children and harmful alcohol use should be addressed together as part of multi-pronged approaches, but they point towards the importance of community-level analyses for designing and delivering community-based interventions. Greater knowledge of community dynamics will enable community-based interventions to create environments at the community level that support meaningful and sustainable change towards IPV prevention. Funding for this study was provided by UKRI (ref. MR/S033629/1).