Strengthening Vector Control Capacity in American Samoa - First-Ever Category 8 Training Completed!

Pago Pago, American Samoa - From May 20–23, 2025, PIHOA successfully coordinated the first-ever Category 8: Public Health Pest Control Training in American Samoa, in partnership with the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDOH), American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), American Samoa Community College (ASCC), and the U.S. Department of the Army.

Fourteen participants from ASDOH and ASCC completed four intensive days of theoretical and practical trainings to improve American Samoa’s outbreak readiness. The training covered the safe and effective management of public health pests such as mosquitoes, rodents, filth flies, and others.

This marked a milestone collaboration, as it was the first time PIHOA partnered directly with ASEPA to deliver a training course that meets both local and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements for pesticide applicators.

“We feel it’s so important because it’s the first time ever the Category 8 training has been held in the territory,” said Aileen Solaita, Administrator of ASDOH’s Environmental Health Services Division. “There are local applicators, but this goes above and beyond what we’ve been trained on before.”

All 14 trainees successfully passed ASEPA’s Core and Category 8 exams and are now certified pesticide applicators.



Solaita noted the training came at a critical time. Given the situation in Samoa right now with the dengue outbreak, also in Fiji and Tonga, we have more awareness of the risk, and this training gives our staff the ability to respond. We can’t always prevent dengue from getting into the territory, but if there is an outbreak here our staff will be well equipped and well trained to apply pesticides safely.”

“It was a great experience teaching this course and I am glad the DOD (Department of Defense) could be involved. The trainees were very engaged and enthusiastic about the material covered, “said Lt Col Davidson. “I am confident they will be able to apply what they’ve learned in their daily work.”

This training was made possible through support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Tropical Island Training and Evaluation Center (TITEC), the Pacific Vector Network, and the U.S. Department of the Army.