{{Short description|Niuean-born New Zealand public health doctor and academic}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox academic | image = Collin Tukuitonga 2011 (cropped).jpg | caption = Tukuitonga in 2011 | education = [[University of Sydney]] ([[Master of Public Health|MPH]]) [[University of the South Pacific]] ([[MBBS]]) | discipline = Public Health scholar | workplaces = [[University of Auckland]] [[World Health Organization]] [[Ministry of Health (New Zealand)]] | honorific_prefix = Sir | honorific_suffix = [[KNZM]], [[Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners|FRNZCGP]], [[FNZCPHM]] }} '''Sir Collin Fonotau Tukuitonga''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|KNZM|size=85%}} (born {{Birth based on age as of date|45|2003|07|31|noage=1}})<ref>{{cite news |title=Health boss wins top research job |date=31 July 2003 |work=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]] |page=2}}</ref> is a Niuean-born [[New Zealand]] doctor, [[public health]] academic, public policy expert and advocate for reducing health inequalities of [[Māori people|Māori]] and Pasifika people. He has held several positions in public health and government in New Zealand and internationally.
== Early life and education == Tukuitonga was born and raised in [[Niue]]. He completed his medical degree in [[Fiji]], followed by a master's degree in public health in [[Sydney]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Husband |first=Dale |date=25 July 2020 |title=Collin Tukuitonga: Looking after our people |url=https://e-tangata.co.nz/korero/collin-tukuitonga-looking-after-our-people/ |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=E-Tangata |language=en-NZ |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628235035/https://e-tangata.co.nz/korero/collin-tukuitonga-looking-after-our-people/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Name === Tukuitonga's first name was spelt 'Colin' for many years but as of 2022 he reverted to its original spelling with a double 'l'.<ref name=":0" />
== Career == Tukuitonga was Chief Executive of the [[Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs]], Director of Public Health for the [[Ministry of Health (New Zealand)|Ministry of Health]] and also Coordinator of Surveillance of Noncommunicable Diseases for the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) based in [[Geneva]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Collin Tukuitonga |url=https://theconversation.com/profiles/collin-tukuitonga-1272840 |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=The Conversation |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605222358/https://theconversation.com/profiles/collin-tukuitonga-1272840 |url-status=live }}</ref> From 2014 to 2020 he was Director-General of the Secretariat of the [[Pacific Community]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colin Tukuitonga |url=https://www.spc.int/people/colin-tukuitonga |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=The Pacific Community |language=en |archive-date=5 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605221506/https://www.spc.int/people/colin-tukuitonga |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018 he was nominated by the New Zealand government to be the Regional Director of the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization however he did not gain the position.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 October 2018 |title=Dr Colin Tukuitonga |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/dr-colin-tukuitonga |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=The Beehive |language=en |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519145126/https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/dr-colin-tukuitonga |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2020 Tukuitonga was appointed as inaugural Associate Dean Pacific at the Health and Medical Sciences faculty of the [[University of Auckland]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 November 2019 |title=Outgoing SPC head to take on new role at Auckland University |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/404276/outgoing-spc-head-to-take-on-new-role-at-auckland-university |access-date=6 June 2022 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz |archive-date=5 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605220332/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/404276/outgoing-spc-head-to-take-on-new-role-at-auckland-university |url-status=live }}</ref>
In November 2022 he was appointed for a three year term on the Public Health Advisory Committee (PHAC); the PHAC provides public health advice to government and the Minister of Health.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the committee: the role of PHAC |url=https://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/key-health-sector-organisations-and-people/ministerial-health-committees/public-health-advisory-committee/about-committee |access-date=11 May 2023 |website=Ministry of Health NZ |language=en}}</ref>
In 2023, Tukuitonga was appointed a Fellow of the [[International Science Council]] for his contributions to Pacific health.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Collin Tukuitonga appointed as a Fellow for the International Science Council {{!}} PMAGroup |url=https://pmagroup.org.nz/updates/sir-collin-tukuitonga-appointed-as-a-fellow-for-the-international-science-council |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=pmagroup.org.nz}}</ref>
In December 2023, Tukuitonga resigned as chairperson of [[Te Whatu Ora]]'s Pacific Senate, citing his disagreement with the incoming [[Sixth National Government of New Zealand|Sixth National Government]]'s scrapping of the [[Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022]] and [[Te Aka Whai Ora]] (Māori Health Authority). He said that: "I really don't want to work for this government. I have no confidence. They are not going to treat [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pacific people]] well and I want to be free to speak up and speak out." In addition, Tukuitonga stepped down from several other government advisory groups.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Foon |first1=Eleisha |title=Sir Collin Tukuitonga resigns from NZ government roles, citing 'no confidence' |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/504474/sir-collin-tukuitonga-resigns-from-nz-government-roles-citing-no-confidence |access-date=11 December 2023 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211111507/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/504474/sir-collin-tukuitonga-resigns-from-nz-government-roles-citing-no-confidence |archive-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>
in June 2024, [[Whakaata Māori|Te Ao Māori News]] reported that Tukuitonga would take up a new role as chairperson of the [[World Health Organization]]'s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (STAG-NCD).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Perese |first1=Daniel |last2=Panapa |first2=Maioha |title=Sir Collin Tukuitonga joins WHO after leaving Health NZ over "no confidence" in government |url=https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/06/11/sir-collin-tukuitonga-joins-who-after-leaving-health-nz-over-no-confidence-in-government/ |access-date=13 June 2024 |work=Te Ao Māori News |publisher=[[Whakaata Māori]] |date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611103455/https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/06/11/sir-collin-tukuitonga-joins-who-after-leaving-health-nz-over-no-confidence-in-government/ |archive-date=11 June 2024}}</ref> [[File:Collin Tukuitonga KNZM investiture 2jpg.jpg|thumb|right|Tukuitonga's investiture as a [[Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit]] by the governor-general, [[Cindy Kiro|Dame Cindy Kiro]], at [[Government House, Auckland]], on 26 August 2022]]
== Honours and awards == Tukuitonga was appointed a [[Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit]], for services to Pacific and public health, in the [[2022 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|2022 Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours]].<ref>{{cite news |date=6 June 2022 |title=The Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-queens-birthday-and-platinum-jubilee-honours-list-2022/W53HWSV4TI7DGRF66KXQCTHB34/ |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606054241/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-queens-birthday-and-platinum-jubilee-honours-list-2022/W53HWSV4TI7DGRF66KXQCTHB34/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Selected publications == {{div col|small=yes}} *{{Cite Q|Q71724682}} *{{Cite Q|Q73247219}} *{{Cite Q|Q74597344}} *{{Cite Q|Q73328251}} *{{Cite Q|Q77611593}} *{{Cite Q|Q43434758}} *{{Cite Q|Q80671186}} *{{Cite Q|Q84319697}} *{{Cite Q|Q41628336}} *{{Cite Q|Q91083638}} {{div col end}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tukuitonga, Collin}} [[Category:New Zealand public health doctors]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit]] [[Category:Academic staff of the University of Auckland]] [[Category:Niuean knights]] [[Category:1950s births]] [[Category:People from Alofi]]