Josephine Aumea Herman is a

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

physician and public servant. Since June 2018 she has served as Secretary of Health in the Cook Islands government. A physician with a research PhD, Herman studied medicine in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and at the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

. Her doctoral advisors were

Shanthi Ameratunga Shanthi Neranjana Ameratunga is a New Zealand public health academic. As of September 2018 she is currently a full professor at the University of Auckland. Academic career After a 2005 PhD titled '' 'Disability following car crashes: an epi ...

and Rod Jackson. She is a volunteer with the organization DAISI, Doctors Assisting in South-Pacific Islands, and is vice-chair of Pacific Heads of Health. In her official capacity she has been responsible for coordinating the government's response to the 2019 outbreak of dengue fever on the islands. She has spoken of the need to preserve

Cook Islands Māori Cook Islands Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language that is the official language of the Cook Islands. Cook Islands Māori is closely related to New Zealand Māori, but is a distinct language in its own right. Cook Islands Māori is simply c ...

. Herman is the aunt of current Cook Islands Secretary of Internal Affairs Anne Herman; the two were named to their department secretary roles at the same time by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Henry Puna Henry Tuakeu Puna (born 29 July 1949) is a Cook Islands politician, and the current secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. He was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from November 2010 to October 2020. Since 2006 he has been leader of th ...

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Cook Island medical doctors 21st-century women physicians University of Auckland alumni {{CookIslands-politician-stub