Dr. Sunia Foliaki

Dr. Sunia Foliaki is a Professor of Public Health at Massey University’s Centre for Public Health Research in Wellington, New Zealand. Her primary research focuses on non-communicable diseases, including respiratory diseases, diabetes, and particularly cervical cancer and HPV-related projects 

He has conducted notable research exploring barriers to cervical screening among Pacific women, revealing factors like insufficient culturally appropriate care, inflexible clinic hours, cost pressures, prioritisation of family needs over personal health, and inadequate information delivery 

More recently, Dr. Foliaki co-led a 2022 qualitative focus group study engaging Pasifika women in Aotearoa New Zealand to understand their perspectives on HPV self‑testing. The study identified key themes – knowledge gaps, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, time constraints, enthusiasm for self-testing and the need for information communicated through community‑centric approaches in Pasifika languages