10,000 Toes "Step Up to Wholeness"Wellness Summit 2023 in Apia, Samoa

The 10,000 Toes "Step Up to Wholeness" Wellness Summit 2023 took place from October 27 to 30 in Apia, Samoa. The summit was organized by the Health Committee in Samoa, under the leadership of Ben Tofilau, CFO for the Samoa & Tokelau Seventh-day Adventist Mission, with assistance from George Kwong, the 10,000 Toes Lead Ambassador for the Trans Pacific Union, Pamela Townend, the South Pacific Division Health Coordinator, and others.

The event focused on the 10,000 Toes campaign's objectives to combat lifestyle diseases, with a goal to see a reduction in diabetes and similar conditions by 2030. Activities included sharing testimonies, knowledge, and experiences related to health and wellness.

The summit had about 300 participants, predominantly from Samoa. Attendees included representatives from various Pacific missions: Gad Koito (10KT Coordinator, Solomon Islands Mission), Lekon Tagavi (Health Director, Vanuatu Mission), Teera Taratake (Health Leader, Kiribati Mission), Kolao Mosese (Assistant Health Leader, American Samoa), Uepi Lea (Tonga Mission), Julie Elisala (Tuvalu), and participants from Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Additional attendees included representatives from ELIA Wellness.

Dr. Ben Matalavea presented on the "Burden of NCDs in Samoa." The summit also featured the launch of "HEAL the Samoan Cookbook," a compilation of healthy recipes using local ingredients.

John Ryan, from the Samoa Cancer Society and one of the summit's MCs, highlighted the event's importance and the 10,000 Toes Campaign's impact in reducing NCDs and diabetes. He noted the engagement of new ambassadors during the summit.

This annual summit provides a platform for 10K Toes ambassadors and leaders to share and learn about health and wellness topics and to report on health initiatives in their regions.