Tuitama Talalelei Tuitama

Tuitama Talalelei Tuitama
Minister of Women, Community and Social Development
In office 27 April 2019 – 9 April 2021
Prime Minister	Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Preceded by	Faimalotoa Kika Stowers
Succeeded by	Leota Laki Lamositele
Minister of Health
In office 21 March 2011 – 27 April 2019
Preceded by	Gatoloaifaana Amataga Alesana-Gidlow
Succeeded by	Faimalotoa Kika Stowers
Member of the Samoa Parliament for Aana Alofi No. 1 East
In office 4 March 2011 – 9 April 2021
Preceded by	Aiono Tile Gafa
Succeeded by	Fesolai Apulu Tuigamala
Member of the Samoa Parliament for Va'a-O-Fonoti
In office 2 March 2001 – 4 March 2011
Preceded by	Molio'o Teofilo
Succeeded by	Tialavea Fea Tionisio Seigafolava
Personal details
Political party	Human Rights Protection Party

Dr Tuitama Leao Talalelei Tuitama is a Samoan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Personal life

Tuitama trained as a medical doctor, working at Samoa National Referral Hospital and in private practice.^[1] He served as the president of Samoa's GP's association.^[2]

He is married to Letelemalanuola Tuitama and is a member of the EFKS Church.^[3]

Political career

He was first elected to Parliament in the 2001 Samoan general election, representing the seat of Va'a-O-Fonoti. He was re-elected in 2006, but had to defend an electoral petition accusing him of corrupt practices.^[4] He was subsequently appointed Associate Minister of Health, a position he held from 2006 to 2010.^[1]

At the 2011 election Tuitama shifted seat to A'ana Alofi No. 1, and after being elected was appointed Minister of Health.^[5] He was re-elected in the 2016 election, and retained his portfolio.^[6][7] As Health Minister he focused on non-communicable diseases,^[1][8][9] and oversaw a merger of health agencies.^[10]

In April 2019 he was replaced as Health Minister by Faimalotoa Kika Stowers in a cabinet reshuffle, taking up Stowers' portfolio of Women, Community and Social Development.^[11][12] In that role, he encouraged vaccination to combat the 2019 Samoa measles outbreak.^[13]

In October 2020 he decided not to stand at the April 2021 election.^[14]

In February 2021 he warned Samoa's village mayors that they must support the government or resign.^[15]

References

1. "Keynote Speakers". Public Health Association of NZ. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
2. "Doctor in Samoa concerned about lack of accurate records". RNZ. 17 December 2002. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
3. "Minister of Women, Community and Social Development". Retrieved 12 September 2020.
4. "Samoa's Registrar of electors and voters accused of corruption". RNZ. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
5. "Dumped Samoa minister says she's happy on the back benches". RNZ. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
6. "Many New Faces in Samoa Cabinet". Talanei. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
7. "Former Samoa deputy PM left out of cabinet". RNZ. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
8. "Samoa looks to whole of government approach to tackling NCDs". RNZ. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
9. "80 percent of Pacific deaths because of NCDs – Samoa govt". RNZ. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
10. Deidre Tautua-Fanene (23 August 2018). "Cabinet approves merger of health agencies". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
11. "Samoa prime minister reshuffles cabinet". RNZ. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
12. Talaia Mika (3 May 2019). "Dr. Tuitama bids farewell to Ministry of Health". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
13. Sapeer Mayron (18 October 2019). "Women, Chiefs can combat measles epidemic". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
14. Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (3 November 2020). "Olo sues Speaker over vacated seat". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
15. "Samoan mayors warned they should support government". RNZ. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.