Dr. Natalie Netzler remembers lying still as a child while her father pressed his hands against her aching head.

The traditional Samoan massage known as fofo was intense. Then suddenly the pain disappeared

Years later, that memory still lingers within her, not as magic, but as a question.

Now a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, Netzler is leading research that links ancestral knowledge with modern science.

She has an urgent focus on viruses such as measles, dengue and Zika that continue to seriously threaten communities in the Pacific region.

“Of the approximately 300 viruses that make humans sick, despite modern medicine, we have only a few tools to truly prevent and treat them,” she says. PMN News. “Worldwide, there are only vaccines that can prevent about 25 viral diseases, and there are only antiviral treatments for about 11 viral diseases.”

Listen to the full interview with Natalie Netzler below.

Many viral illnesses have no specific treatment, just managing the symptoms. In 2019, a measles outbreak in Samoa infected more than 2,000 people and killed 81, most of them children.

The World Health Organization says measles will continue to spread unless at least 95% of people are vaccinated and countries maintain strong epidemic surveillance.

Following recent dengue-related deaths in the Cook Islands, Professor Sir Colin Tukuitonga, Associate Dean of the School of Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland, warned that dengue is a serious and growing threat across the region.

“Dengue fever is not a mild disease, and repeated infections are more dangerous, especially for people in the Pacific region and frequent travelers,” he said in a statement.

Netzler (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Hauā, Moto’otua, Falealili – Samoa) believes knowledge of the Pacific could be part of the answer.

Her research is testing plant extracts used in Samoan and Maori Rongoa traditional medicine to see if they can stop the virus from multiplying in the lab.

If an extract shows promise, scientists work to identify the active part of the plant and refine it into what could one day become a safe, tested drug.

The research is Indigenous-led and carefully managed by project partners, including the Samoa Scientific Research Institute and Rongoa Māori practitioners.

Netzler said the goal is to prevent exploitation and ensure that profits are returned to the communities where the knowledge is gained.

“We codename all our medicines, so we do blind testing. Medicines are only shared with consent and we don’t store anything in the cloud because we know there are data breaches.

“The ideal is [outcome] By figuring out what parts of those plants are active, working with chemists to try to tweak them, and then patenting them, we protect the intellectual property and put the profits back into the communities where those plants come from and their indigenous knowledge base. ”

Netzler said this research is about more than medicine. It’s also about representation and trust. She hopes this research will further promote representation of the Pacific region in biomedicine.

“There are very few Pacific researchers in biomedical sciences… I really hope that we can light a fire and attract more Pacific researchers down this path.”

Traditional healing practices in the Pacific have evolved over centuries. Netzler said many infectious diseases were introduced through colonization and world travel.

Currently, the risk of epidemics continues to increase due to climate change and increased movement between countries.

Netzler is clear that vaccines remain essential. Her job is not to replace them. It’s about expanding the local medical toolkit. She believes adding safe antiviral treatments alongside vaccination can provide additional protection for our community.

For Netzler, it’s about respecting both worlds, not choosing between indigenous knowledge and science. It’s about bringing them together and making something stronger for the community.