MAISUKA: The Silent Killer

The pervasiveness of the Diabetes epidemic among Pasifika people in Aotearoa is the focus of a new documentary airing on the TP+ platform.

Titled ‘Maisuka: The Silent Killer’, it takes a closer look at Type 2 Diabetes, and how prevalent it is among young Pasifika people.

Pacific communities have always led every indicator of type 2 diabetes in Aotearoa and are the worst affected. In the next 20 years, a quarter of the Pacific community will likely develop Type 2 Diabetes and each year, an alarming number of them are Pacific youth.

“In New Zealand Pacific children and teens are 18 times higher to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in comparison to the European children,” says Tevita Funaki, CEO for Pacific health services provider The Fono, who also appears in the documentary.

“Type 2 Diabetes in New Zealand impacts the Pacific people in New Zealand at twice the rate of the general population. A quarter of Pacific people in New Zealand are on track to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes by 2040.”

Maisuka sets out to identify the issues, talk to some of those affected as well as experts. They look at what can be done to save lives and bring awareness and caution to this growing epidemic.

At the time this documentary was filmed, teenager Mele Taufa was just diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and Junior Lelu Nonutonu was losing his sight. They convey the impact this disease has had on their lives and the people around them.

“My message to Pasifika, our poly people is, really have family and friends that are... that have diabetes to (help) really motivate themselves you know,” Nonutunu says.

“It’s not an easy thing to deal with and it’s not a good feeling; like it’s not good to have something like that.”

As well as those impacted by diabetes, film-makers spoke with Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith who was part of a $3 million Otago University study investigating genetic predisposition to metabolic diseases like diabetes and gout among Pacific people.

In their study, archaeologists found in ancient burial sites across the Pacific, that gout and diabetes is not solely the result of a “westernized” diet and lifestyle, as it is often assumed. But that it is also in their their DNA.

At the same time the film also looks at Pacific Community efforts to educate the people about the danger diabetes poses. One of those community initiatives is in the South Waikato town of Tokoroa where health and community groups continue to work together to bring this illness to heel.

MAISUKA: The Silent Killer is produced by Sunpix Ltd and was funded through the Public Interest Journalism Fund NZ On Air.

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