The Samoa Red Cross Society has taken part in the 2026 Pacific Regional First Aid Meeting in Nouméa, New Caledonia, as part of efforts to strengthen first aid training and emergency preparedness across the region.
The meeting, organised by the French Red Cross, was held from 8 to 11 June and supported by France through the Agence française de développement.
It formed part of the French Red Cross Preparedness and Response Platform for the Pacific programme, known as PIROPS, which aims to strengthen the capacity of National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies throughout the Pacific.
The regional programme receives €2.7 million in funding from the European Union, equivalent to approximately WST 8 million.
Representatives attended from Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Global First Aid Reference Centre also participated.
Samoa Red Cross Society Health and First Aid Coordinator Aiolupotea Goretti Wulf and her team took part in a week of exchanges, discussions and collaborative workshops.
The programme allowed participants to examine new tools for first aid education and discuss the long-term financial sustainability of training models within their respective countries.
The meeting also helped Pacific Red Cross societies align their work around a shared vision for 2030, with the objective of developing a stronger culture of first aid in communities throughout the region.
The cooperation is expected to support Samoa Red Cross in improving its first aid training programmes and strengthening its ability to prepare communities for emergencies and disasters.
This article is based on a press release issued by the Embassy of France in Samoa on 16 June 2026.
