ANZGITA 2021 COVID-19 Education & Discussion Series
COVID Webinar Dates - (Scroll down for more location times)
All COVID sessions are by Invitation only. To request to join or receive a session recording, email programs@anzgita.org.
COVID WEBINARS: Thursday, 11 NOV - 1.00-2.00pm Fiji Time (12.00pm AEDT)
"Sharing Fiji's COVID Experience"
Presenters:
Hospital Perspective : Dr Ravi Naidu
Public Health and national perspective: Dr Anaseini Maisema
Moderators: Dr Chris Hair & Dr Adam Jenney
This is a tremendous opportunity to learn from Fiji’s teams, a Pacific perspective of COVID19 outbreak and management.
Thursday, 7th OCT - 1.00-2.00pm Fiji Time (12.00pm AEDT)
"COVID in Remote Locations" - Dr Sam Heard, RACGP Medical Director of Central Aboriginal Congress
Thursday, 22 July - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
'"COVID-19 - Clinical Management from Mild to Severe"
Presenters: Dr Simon Barry, Consultant Respiratory Physician University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, and Lead, Respiratory Health Implementation Plan Wales
A/Prof James MacMahon, Infectious Disease Physician and Head of Clinical Research Unit for ID at Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
Prof Allen Cheng
Thursday, 29 July - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
'"COVID-19 Vaccines; To Mandate or Not?"
Presenter: Prof. Julie Leask, Professor Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Medicine & Health, Adjunct Professor School of Public Health, Visiting Fellow National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
Thursday, 12 August - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
"Radiological and Clincal Findings COVID-19 Pneumonia"
Combined case conference CWMH Dept of Medicine & Radiology, with Dr Chris Leung and Colleagues, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria
Thursday, 26 August - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
"Recovery after COVID-19: Returning to Normal"
Presenter: TBA
Thursday, 9 Sept - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
'Preparing for Patients with Long COVID' - Professor Lekshmi Santhosh, MD, MA Ed
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine | Pulm/Critical Care & Hospital Med
Associate Program Director | Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship
Assistant Site Director | Internal Medicine Residency
Medical Director | UCSF Post-COVID OPTIMAL Clinic
COVID WEBINARS: Thursday, 11 NOV - 1.00-2.00pm Fiji Time (12.00pm AEDT)
"Sharing Fiji's COVID Experience"
Presenters:
Hospital Perspective : Dr Ravi Naidu
Public Health and national perspective: Dr Anaseini Maisema
Moderators: Dr Chris Hair & Dr Adam Jenney
This is a tremendous opportunity to learn from Fiji’s teams, a Pacific perspective of COVID19 outbreak and management.
Thursday, 7th OCT - 1.00-2.00pm Fiji Time (12.00pm AEDT)
"COVID in Remote Locations" - Dr Sam Heard, RACGP Medical Director of Central Aboriginal Congress
Thursday, 22 July - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
'"COVID-19 - Clinical Management from Mild to Severe"
Presenters: Dr Simon Barry, Consultant Respiratory Physician University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, and Lead, Respiratory Health Implementation Plan Wales
A/Prof James MacMahon, Infectious Disease Physician and Head of Clinical Research Unit for ID at Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
Prof Allen Cheng
Thursday, 29 July - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
'"COVID-19 Vaccines; To Mandate or Not?"
Presenter: Prof. Julie Leask, Professor Sydney Nursing School, Faculty of Medicine & Health, Adjunct Professor School of Public Health, Visiting Fellow National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
Thursday, 12 August - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
"Radiological and Clincal Findings COVID-19 Pneumonia"
Combined case conference CWMH Dept of Medicine & Radiology, with Dr Chris Leung and Colleagues, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria
Thursday, 26 August - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
"Recovery after COVID-19: Returning to Normal"
Presenter: TBA
Thursday, 9 Sept - 1.00-2.00pm (Fiji time) & (11.00am-12.00pm AEST)
'Preparing for Patients with Long COVID' - Professor Lekshmi Santhosh, MD, MA Ed
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine | Pulm/Critical Care & Hospital Med
Associate Program Director | Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship
Assistant Site Director | Internal Medicine Residency
Medical Director | UCSF Post-COVID OPTIMAL Clinic

Vaccination Focussed Sessions for Pacific Medical Professionals
ANZGITA ramped up our education programs via Zoom Webinars to impart valuable educational information to our members and medical students in a large Pacific region with up to 80 attendees at each of the five webinars. Our Pacific programs leader, Dr Chris Hair, initiated these COVID Vaccine webinars featuring experts around the region to provide a forum for group discussion and questions with our guest speakers.
A special thank you to all the presenters, chairs, and moderators for putting together this webinar series.
ANZGITA ramped up our education programs via Zoom Webinars to impart valuable educational information to our members and medical students in a large Pacific region with up to 80 attendees at each of the five webinars. Our Pacific programs leader, Dr Chris Hair, initiated these COVID Vaccine webinars featuring experts around the region to provide a forum for group discussion and questions with our guest speakers.
A special thank you to all the presenters, chairs, and moderators for putting together this webinar series.

View our general 2021 education webinar program including COVID topics, conducted in conjunction with the Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center, University of Hawaii by ANZGITA Director, Assoc Prof Chris Hair and Dr Meru Sheel (Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University). Please email Chris for further details.

Our purpose has been to provide a forum for group discussion and questions with our guest speakers. COVID-19 Vaccination topics list covered include:
- COVID and COVAX (Dr Meru Sheel),
- Clinical Issues with COVID Vaccination (Dr Christopher Blyth),
- Effective Communication regarding COVID Vaccines (Prof Julie Leask),
- Infection Control for HCWs (Prof Allen Cheng),
- ICU Management and Medications (Alfred Hospital's Drs Prof Adam Jenney and Steve McGloughlin).
- Preparedness of PICs for cases of thrombosis from AZ vaccine including Fiji case study (Prof Mike Gold, Prof Huyen Tran, Dr Ravi Naidu)
Moderated by:
Dr Meru Sheel, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Australian Nation University, Canberra, Australia Dr Chris Hair, Gastroenterologist ANZGITA, Australia Dr Mai Ling Perman, President, Internal Medicine Pacific, Fiji |
"Thank you so much, Chris, for sharing this and thinking of us during this challenging time. Your support is appreciated." Dr William May, Dean, College of Medicine, Fiji National University |
2021 COVID-19 Vaccine Discussion Series
WEBINAR - 15 JUL 2021 -"Leading During a Crisis: From Clinical Practice to Public Health" - Dale Fisher, Professor of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Chair of steering committee for WHO's Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network & Meru Sheel, Pacific Epidemiology Vaccine Effectiveness-Delta Variant
WEBINAR - 28 MAY 2021 -"COVID-19 Vaccine Safety" - Dr Meru Sheel, Prof Adam Jenney, Prof Michael Gold, Prof Huyen Tran, Dr Ravi Naidu, Dr Chris Hair for Dr Folototo Levaii
WEBINAR - 13 MAY 2021 - "Communicating About Vaccines" - Dr Meru Sheel, Prof Julie Leask
WEBINAR - 12 MAY 2021 - "Management of Hospital COVID-19 Outbreak Affecting Patients & Healthcare Workers" - Prof Adam Jenney, Prof Allen Cheng, Assoc Prof Steve McGloughlin, Assoc Prof James McMahon
WEBINAR - 29 APR 2021 - "Clinical Considerations and Contraindications, Special Groups for Vaccination" - Dr Christopher Blyth
WEBINAR - 20 APR 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccine Discussions "General Overview of COVID-19 Vaccines, COVAX" - Dr Meru Sheel
WEBINAR - 28 MAY 2021 -"COVID-19 Vaccine Safety" - Dr Meru Sheel, Prof Adam Jenney, Prof Michael Gold, Prof Huyen Tran, Dr Ravi Naidu, Dr Chris Hair for Dr Folototo Levaii
WEBINAR - 13 MAY 2021 - "Communicating About Vaccines" - Dr Meru Sheel, Prof Julie Leask
WEBINAR - 12 MAY 2021 - "Management of Hospital COVID-19 Outbreak Affecting Patients & Healthcare Workers" - Prof Adam Jenney, Prof Allen Cheng, Assoc Prof Steve McGloughlin, Assoc Prof James McMahon
WEBINAR - 29 APR 2021 - "Clinical Considerations and Contraindications, Special Groups for Vaccination" - Dr Christopher Blyth
WEBINAR - 20 APR 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccine Discussions "General Overview of COVID-19 Vaccines, COVAX" - Dr Meru Sheel
Time Zone Conversion
Time Conversions (as of Octoberl 2021) The meeting begins on...
Friday - Event date listed Thursday 1:00 PM Fiji 10:00 AM Palau 2:00 PM Am.Samoa (Pago Pago) 11:00 AM N.Mariana Islands 3:00 PM Hawaii 11:00 AM Guam 11:00 AM Port Moresby 12:00 PM Melbourne/Sydney 12:00 PM Pohnpei 1:00 PM Marshall Islands 2.00 PM Auckland NZ 2:00 PM Samoa (Apia) |
Good Reads
A Pacific island's Covid-19 crisis has become a political power play between China and Australia
Pacific island Papua New Guinea is trying to keep its Covid-19 outbreak under control. Instead, it's found itself at the center of a political power play. Read in CNN: https://apple.news/AMp7N86LGS2WrMDiQBThyhA
The resurgence of COVID-19 positive cases from local and community transmission in Fiji has dealt a swift blow to Fiji's economic optimism. Read about the situation here.
Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Covid-19: Should cloth masks be used by healthcare workers as a last resort?
COVID-19 key research papers and resources
Pacific island Papua New Guinea is trying to keep its Covid-19 outbreak under control. Instead, it's found itself at the center of a political power play. Read in CNN: https://apple.news/AMp7N86LGS2WrMDiQBThyhA
The resurgence of COVID-19 positive cases from local and community transmission in Fiji has dealt a swift blow to Fiji's economic optimism. Read about the situation here.
Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Covid-19: Should cloth masks be used by healthcare workers as a last resort?
COVID-19 key research papers and resources
Pacific Community COVID Updates HERE
The Guardian has stopped publishing weekly Pacific Island updates. However, here is a link to one of the writers' weekly blog.
The Guardian has stopped publishing weekly Pacific Island updates. However, here is a link to one of the writers' weekly blog.
DFAT 'Partnerships for Recovery' Strategy - The Foreign Minister and Minister for International Development and the Pacific launched the Australian Government’s COVID-19 development response strategy, Partnerships for Recovery. We are pleased to provide a copy of the Strategy here. The Strategy presents Australia’s priorities in working globally, and especially with our near neighbours, to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government is pivoting its development partnerships in support of the health security, economic recovery and stability of our region. We will monitor for any effect on our DFAT PIP funding for Pacific programs.
Climate Change - The governments of Fiji and Samoa have reiterated that even though the impacts of Covid-19 are severe, climate change remains the No 1 challenge in the Pacific islands region. A paper by Desmond Leddin (ANZGITA Advisory Group Member) and Finlay Macrae (ANZGITA Chair) was published in the May/June Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology which documents the need for the gastroenterology community to consider the implications of climate change on Gastrointestinal Health and Disease. We invite you to read it here.
2020 COVID-19 Discussion Series
WEBINAR - Friday, May 22, 2020 1:00 PM
TOPIC: "Outbreak Management in Small Island Nations - Perspectives from Guam"
MODERATOR: Associate Professor Chris Hair, MBBS, BSc, FRACP, & ANZGITA Director & South Pacific Programs Lead
WEBINAR - Friday, April 17, 2020 1:00 PM
TOPIC: "COVID-19 - Approaching Challenges and Clinical Responses for Healthcare Workers in Pacific Island Nations"
MODERATOR: Associate Professor Chris Hair, MBBS, BSc, FRACP, & ANZGITA Director & South Pacific Programs Lead
Follow-up RESOURCES from Professor Maclntyre provided below:
Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Covid-19: Should cloth masks be used by healthcare workers as a last resort?
COVID-19 key research papers and resources
WEBINAR - Friday, 20 March 2020
TOPIC: "COVID-19 and PI Nations: How and What Do We Need to Prepare For?"
In lieu of the Gastroenterology Training Session, this week was a lecture based on COVID-19. The session ended in a Q&A session with various participating Pacific Island nations in attendance.
TOPIC: "Outbreak Management in Small Island Nations - Perspectives from Guam"
MODERATOR: Associate Professor Chris Hair, MBBS, BSc, FRACP, & ANZGITA Director & South Pacific Programs Lead
WEBINAR - Friday, April 17, 2020 1:00 PM
TOPIC: "COVID-19 - Approaching Challenges and Clinical Responses for Healthcare Workers in Pacific Island Nations"
MODERATOR: Associate Professor Chris Hair, MBBS, BSc, FRACP, & ANZGITA Director & South Pacific Programs Lead
Follow-up RESOURCES from Professor Maclntyre provided below:
Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Covid-19: Should cloth masks be used by healthcare workers as a last resort?
COVID-19 key research papers and resources
WEBINAR - Friday, 20 March 2020
TOPIC: "COVID-19 and PI Nations: How and What Do We Need to Prepare For?"
In lieu of the Gastroenterology Training Session, this week was a lecture based on COVID-19. The session ended in a Q&A session with various participating Pacific Island nations in attendance.
COVID Information & Resources
World Health Organization COVID 19 Tracker Latest information, health guidance and resources.
World Gastroenterology Organisation COVID 19 Resources for our Global Community For resources and research papers.
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ Quick look tracking of live statistics on case numbers by country.
Australian Department of Health COVID Daily Updates Current information, latest case numbers and useful related information.
Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 'Covid-19 and the Digestive System, May 2020'
MyInteract COVID-19 Connection You will need to create an account if you are not already using MyInteract.
Australian Government COVID Safe Tracking App Download the tracking app from this site.
CDC - Center for Disease Control COVID Information For disease control and background.
The Guardian Weekly COVID Update For interesting newspaper articles, reporting and latest information by island.
www.radiologyacrossborders.org/ For resources, Pacific information and background on how COVID affects a related healthcare profession.
World Gastroenterology Organisation COVID 19 Resources for our Global Community For resources and research papers.
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ Quick look tracking of live statistics on case numbers by country.
Australian Department of Health COVID Daily Updates Current information, latest case numbers and useful related information.
Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 'Covid-19 and the Digestive System, May 2020'
MyInteract COVID-19 Connection You will need to create an account if you are not already using MyInteract.
Australian Government COVID Safe Tracking App Download the tracking app from this site.
CDC - Center for Disease Control COVID Information For disease control and background.
The Guardian Weekly COVID Update For interesting newspaper articles, reporting and latest information by island.
www.radiologyacrossborders.org/ For resources, Pacific information and background on how COVID affects a related healthcare profession.