Lalo Mango, Tonga - ‘Grow Your Wellness’ Programme

The WHO CC UTS acknowledges use of key language from The WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (2021–2025).

The food and physical activity choices we make influence our risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. These conditions not only impact our quality of life but are also associated with increasing health care costs [1]. In Tonga, high rates of obesity among men and women have been a major risk for growing burden of NCDs [2].

Healthy eating, healthy foods and regular physical activity can help establish a solid foundation for the promotion of a healthier and more productive society. It is with this belief and with her background in nursing that A/Professor Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu embarked upon changing her own life and those of other Tongans.

Amelia’s life changed when she was running a nursing clinic in a Tongan remote village and a community leader commented that he couldn’t take her health advice seriously because she was overweight. Her journey to health and wellness inspired her and others to establish the ‘Lalo Mango Grow Your Wellness’ programme. She adds

as a leader I have to hold myself accountable to lead the message of healthy living because people now in Tonga and the Pacific are calling us to be accountable.

Five aspects are the key essence of the programme. The first is inclusivity. We invite all people to be a part of the programme with a spirit of acceptance. Secondly, we support people to cook local Tongan food. Encourage them to consume food that they plant in their own homes so that it is accessible blended with modern methods of cooking. Thirdly, in the Tongan culture family is very important. Within the programme, we try to create a sense of belonging, to ensure that everyone feels that they are a part of a bigger family. Within this family, we want everyone to be self-committed, self-disciplined, and self-driven. Fourthly, we want to be the role models, especially our children. We want to inspire our children to avoid high-calorie, low-nutrition foods and be physically active. Finally, we want our programme to be based on the latest scientific evidence, provide information and advice for choosing a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and achieving adequate exercise. We want to be aware of current research adopt an evidence-informed approach. We also self-assess – critical analysis of our approach and how we can improve ourselves.

The programme continues to undertake multi-sectoral actions to address the problem of obesity while taking into consideration the sociocultural context at the earliest. It is also an excellent illustration of ‘leading by example’.

Amelia is Tonga’s first PhD in Nursing and began her career in Australia, then returned home to work in a Tongan hospital, where she found that policies often did not fit the reality of practice due to lack of basic resources. She later led a team to conduct the first clinical review in Tonga, which brought nurses from wards and clinical settings together to discuss policy and procedures for the first time. Her doctoral thesis grew out of the realisation that nursing in Tonga was dominated by expatriates who often had little to no knowledge of the country’s cultural, economic, or political system. After a stint as the Chief Nursing Officer in the country, Amelia is now Tonga’s first female Minister for Health.

A role model for her community, Amelia continues to inspire others to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Through her work including the Wellness Programme, Amelia continues to empower Tongans to take control of their health and her involvement in the community has led to systematic changes in diet quality and physical activity uptake that has made a positive impact on one of the country’s major health risks. Lalo Mango Grow your wellness has Youth n Young Leadership teams showcasing the dual critical importance of growing wellness and protecting the Environment.

1.            SFL Kirk, A.C., J Beazley, , Obesity in Tonga: A cross-sectional comparative study of perceptions of body size and beliefs about obesity in lay people and nurses. Obesity research & clinical practice, 2008. 2.

2.            O’Grady, S., Pacific islands have an obesity problem. The Tongan leader thinks a weight-loss competition could help. Washington Post, 2018.