Pacific Planetary Health Research Centre, known in our Fijian context and socialized as Tadra Vanua. The concept represents our land, our seas, our people, and our culture as an inseparable whole. Tadra, meaning ‘dream,’ joins with Vanua to express our collective dream for a healthier, more resilient future for our region and beyond.

The establishment of Tadra Vanua reflects a recognition that the time is now for the Pacific to lead the world in action-oriented research that integrates human, animal, and environmental health. This aligns with the aspirations of the Healthy Islands Vision, the Blue Pacific 2050 Strategy, SPC’s commitment to planetary health in their 10 year strategy, and the WHO Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025–2029) Strategy. These global and regional mandates converge here, in the Pacific, where our political leaders have consistently called for urgent and unified action on health, climate, and the environment.

Tadra Vanua aspires to serve as a world-class research hub—a home for Pacific-led, place-based, interdisciplinary research and action. It will build on existing successes, such as the RISE and WISH projects, and will leverage partnerships with key regional and international stakeholders. This hub will unite the research capacities of the Fiji Institute of Pacific Health Research and other FNU centres, while working alongside institutions like the Pacific Community, the World Health Organization, and leading universities from Australia, New Zealand, and the national government.

Crucially, Tadra Vanua will not simply generate knowledge; it will drive action. It will work hand in hand with Pacific communities, governments, and civil society, ensuring that research translates into real-world solutions that prioritize the most vulnerable and safeguard our ecosystems and traditions.
Our vision is bold and long-term: a 10-year pathway with an initial five-year growth and proof-of-concept phase.

The objectives are clear:

• Build regional capacity in ecological approaches to health.
• Strengthen and align existing investments like WISH, RISE, and KIWA.
• Serve as a donor coordination hub for Planetary and One Health.
• Lay the foundation for sustainable financing.
• Develop local grant and laboratory management capacities.
• Facilitate Pacific-led research priority-setting.
• Cultivate partnerships for postgraduate training.
• Host the biannual Oceania Planetary Health Forum.
• Reverse the Pacific ‘brain drain’ by nurturing and retaining our brightest minds.

Through this work, Tadra Vanua will position the Pacific as a global exemplar of integrative solutions to the health and environmental crises of our time. It can amplify our voices on the international stage, demonstrating that we are not merely vulnerable islands but innovative leaders driving transformative change.