Pasifika churches drive community-led health change

A joint National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and local health service funded community-led health initiative has hit two important milestones in improving the health and wellbeing of Sydney’s Pasifika communities.

The Pasifika Preventing Diabetes Programme (PPDP), which is a lifestyle-focused initiative run by researchers from Western Sydney University, works directly with Pasifika churches to connect with the community.

The PPDP team trains and supports the community to help each other to increase physical activity and eat more healthily in a sustainable way. Through health checks and practical advice, the program empowers Pasifika communities, predominantly from Samoan, Tongan, and Fijian backgrounds, to detect, prevent and manage type 2 diabetes in a culturally safe way.

The project started as a small pilot with three churches and has just reached its target of 48 churches across Greater Western Sydney and Southeastern Sydney. While also passing the 1000th adult to participate. An achievement that Distinguished Professor David Simmons, who co-leads the program, says will hopefully support long-term change.

“Involving 48 churches allows access to a large and diverse population. Embedding the intervention in community structures makes it more likely to be sustained beyond the study period,” said Distinguished Professor Simmons.

“Type 2 diabetes is a growing health challenge across Australia. Pasifika individuals have seven times higher risk of developing diabetes than those of European ancestry so combining community and cultural skills with scientific and health skills is crucial.”

The program’s impact was celebrated during a traditional Pasifika gathering, known as a Fono. Held at the newly built Lang Walker AO Medical Research Building in Campbelltown, community members and leaders, researchers and health partners came together to share learnings and build support for community-led programs that make a difference.

“It was wonderful to present the progress we have made so far and acknowledge the participants leading community change, and our partner organisations, that are all integral to its success,” said PPDP co-lead and Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Freya MacMillan.

“Not only have we just passed the 1000th adult to participate, but we have trained over 70 community members to help their community and are now seeing seven main activities that churches are using repeatedly across communities.”

The project team consists of Distinguished Professor David Simmons, Professor Freya MacMillan, Associate Professor Kate McBride, Dr Tina Naumovski, Mrs Sala Ronda Thompson, Mrs Makeleta Felila, Mr Tene Pahulu, Mr Kegnie Getie, and Miss Tayla Thompson.

PPDP is supported by partner organisations including NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Health Pathology, South Western Sydney LHD, Western Sydney LHD, South Eastern Sydney LHD, Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, Diabetes Australia, South Western Sydney PHN, Wentworth Healthcare (NBMPHN), WentWest (Western Sydney PHN), Central and Eastern Sydney PHN, Maridulu Budyari Gumal Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE), and Novo Nordisk.

Running until 2028, the project is seeing positive results and demonstrating that other health conditions impacting the community could be addressed with an approach that prioritises implementation to support sustainability. Data are currently being collected to show the impact of the lifestyle program on community-wide diabetes and diabetes risk.

You can find more information about PPDP, here.

ENDS.

24 June 2026
Emily Neville, Senior Media and PR Advisor