Kato Fetu – Setting a Pacific Mental Health and Addiction Research Agenda

As mandated in Te Kokiri, Le Va was commissioned by the Ministry of Health to develop a research agenda that would identify priorities for mental health and addiction research for New Zealand’s Pacific population to be implemented in the next 1-5 years.

The development of Kato Fetu presented a significant step towards a more strategic and systematic approach to building a comprehensive and relevant Pacific body of knowledge.

Kato (meaning bag or basket) and Fetu (meaning stars) translates conceptually to a basket or container of stars. The vision of Kato Fetu is: “A constellation of new knowledge to illuminate and help navigate the way forward for the Pacific mental health and addiction sector”.

The strategic and consultative nature of Kato Fetu acknowledges the importance of developing relevant research findings. Service provider and community engagement are crucial to the translation of research to frontline services.