Samoa: Dengue outbreak prompts school calendar review

Around 22 August, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa announced that all schools will reopen on 1 September 2025. Schools have been closed for the entire month of August due to the ongoing dengue fever outbreak and the upcoming national elections on 29 August. The Ministry of Education (MoE) also confirmed an ongoing review of the school calendar, which he said will affect national assessments. Separately, the Acting Deputy Director General for Hospital and Clinical Services, Dr. Ulugia Tito Kamu, stated that he had been ordered to resign by August 22, 2025. He stated that his removal is tied to his advice during the ongoing dengue outbreak. The current total number of dengue cases recorded stands at 9,571, including 1,601 new cases since the last fortnight.

Assessment: The government’s reopening date announcement indicates its confidence in containing and mitigating risks related to the outbreak, despite the increasing cases. According to the MoE Aeau Christopher Hazelman, school holidays between Term 3 and Term 4 are very likely to be cancelled to make up for the time lost during school closures. The removal of the Acting Deputy Director General for Hospital and Clinical Services is very likely linked to his role in handling the dengue outbreak, the second such outbreak in 12 months.

Sources:  Marieta Heidi Ilalio, “Schools open 1 September,” Samoa Observer, August 22, 2025; Andrina Elvira Burkhart, “No school this month: MEC,” Samoa Observer, August 15, 2025.