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The BES support centre: A growing hub for collaboration

The BES Support Centre: A Growing Hub for Peer-to-Peer Learning in the Pacific

The BES Support Centre in Suva, Fiji, is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of technical capacity building for digital health in the Pacific. Since its opening in late 2023, it has welcomed teams from across the region, providing hands-on training in IT, data management, and digital health. Recently, with the support of DFAT's Global Health Division through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, teams from Tonga and Timor-Leste visited the centre to expand their expertise in server management, health information systems, and supply chain logistics.

Strengthening Technical Capacity: Linux and other IT Training for Tonga's Ministry of Health

In March 2025, the BES Support Centre hosted a specialized Server Linux Training course for two IT staff from Tonga's Ministry of Health, with virtual participation from Kiribati. Led by Ashnil Kumar, with support from Anil Karan and Monika Lal, the training aimed to enhance technical proficiency in Linux server management. Key topics covered included:

Participants engaged in practical exercises such as setting up Linux virtual machines, deploying security tools, and troubleshooting real-world scenarios. The training concluded with an interactive Q&A session, fostering peer-to-peer learning and collaboration.

Learning from Experience: Timor-Leste Delegation Visits Fiji’s Supply Chain Systems

Also in March 2025, a four-member delegation from Timor-Leste's Ministerio de Saude visited the BES Fiji office to gain insights into Fiji's health supply chain. The visit allowed them to explore the similarities and differences between their systems and Fiji's implementation of mSupply as a Logistics Management Information System (LMIS). Throughout the week, the delegation:

This visit reinforced the importance of knowledge-sharing across Pacific nations and highlighted how digital solutions can be leveraged to improve healthcare supply chains.

Digital Health Capacity Building: Nauru Digital Health Officer Training

Nauru Digital Health Project Officer Templa Tau spent a week at the BES Support Centre in Suva for an intensive training program in September 2024. He worked closely with the deployment and support teams to deepen his understanding of Tamanu EMR, Tupaia, mSupply, and mSupply Cold Chain. Templa also traveled to various health facilities to observe Tupaia facility assessment surveys in action. As a key player in Nauru's health system digitization, his time in Suva provided invaluable insights into IT support, data configuration, and user training. The opportunity allowed him to see 'behind the curtain' of BES's IT and software solutions while also sharing firsthand field experiences with the support team. This exchange not only strengthened Templa's technical expertise but also reinforced BES's commitment to building local capacity, ensuring sustainability and long-term project success.

Building a Stronger Digital Health Community

Through initiatives like these, the BES Support Centre is becoming a vital hub for collaboration, ensuring that Pacific health professionals have access to high-quality technical training. By fostering regional connections and providing hands-on experience, the centre is empowering teams to strengthen digital health infrastructure across the region. We look forward to hosting more teams in the future and continuing our mission to support technical capacity building in the Pacific.

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BES’ headquarters are on Wurundjeri land near Merri Creek in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. For thousands of years, Merri Creek provided Aboriginal people with many of the essentials of their day-to-day lives including water, timber and bark for building shelters, plant life for food and medicinal purposes, and animals for food.

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people who are the Traditional Custodians of that Land. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging of the Kulin Nation and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.

Our acknowledgements extend to the traditional owners of the lands on which we work across the Pacific—including Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), where we recognise Māori as the Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa. BES commits to upholding their tino rangatiratanga over their lands, resources and taonga as described by te Tiriti o Waitangi.