The most serious challenge confronting the Tongan society today is the physical health of our people, HM King Tupou VI said, when he opened the 2016-17 session of parliament this morning, 2 June, in a
Naming Tonga the fattest nation in the world, a BBC report on 18 January 2016 says that consumption of imported mutton lamb flaps is to blame. But Tonga’s Director of Health, Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola, says
Last July, 32 Utahns journeyed to the island of Tonga on a life-saving mission. Their goal: treat those with diabetes and teach Tongans who don’t have the disease how to prevent it.
Tonga has a medical emergency on its hands. More than half of the Pacific Islanders there are obese, and one in four lives with diabetes.
Chair of Treatment Team
Co-founder of ‘Amanaki Fo’ou’ with wife Andrea Ferguson
Since 2013, Rob Ferguson has been working with ministries of health, medical professionals, government leaders, and hospital and clinic staff to address the management, treatment, and education on the sequelae of diabetes. Rob is a reconstructive surgeon and hospital system medical officer with Intermountain Health (based in Salt Lake City, UT). His focus includes training teams on surgical management of diabetic complications as well as working with local teams to recruit volunteer specialists to meet their goals and needs.
Rob graduated from Brigham Young University prior to obtaining his medical degree from the University of Virginia. His surgical and specialty training programs include the University of Kentucky, MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX), and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan). He obtained a masters in business administration from the University of Utah.
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