More than 1,000 adults and children attended the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) Wellness Festival held at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College on September 28. The five-hour event featured live music, free food, a keiki area, health presentations, and one-on-one consultations with healthcare providers blended with social and biomedical research education.
The first-of-its-kind festival served as a platform to share study findings, sign up new participants and bring the Maui community together for a day of fun and wellness. The event marked a significant milestone for MauiWES, which has already recruited more than 1,300 adults impacted by the wildfires, making it the largest and most comprehensive study to date on the health and social effects of the August 2023 Maui wildfires.
Researchers from UH Mānoa, led by Professors Ruben Juarez and Alika Maunakea, shared preliminary findings and provided individualized results to study participants in multiple languages, ensuring accessible and inclusive communication. The festival drew a diverse group of participants, including representation from Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, Hispanics, Whites and non-Filipino Asians.
“We are grateful for the strong community support,” said Juarez, co-director of MauiWES and UHERO–HMSA Distinguished Endowed Professor of Health Economics at UH. “This event not only brought us closer to our goal of reaching 2,000 participants enrolled in the study but also showcased the community’s resilience and commitment to rebuilding together.”
Connecting participants to resources
Maunakea from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) presented one of the study’s key findings, which revealed that more than 20% of participants exhibited significant levels of heavy metal contamination. These participants have been linked to services and resources from more than 30 community partners, including Roots Reborn, American Lung Association, Mālama I Ke Ola, Tagnawa for Maui, Hawaiʻi Department of Health Nurses, Maui Medics Healer Hui, various mental health and primary care providers, and others, to address the identified health risks.
The collaborative support offered through MauiWES has enabled affected families to access critical health interventions, learn more about prevention and improve their overall well-being during the recovery process.
MauiWES expansion
Participants at the festival were also informed about the next phase of the cohort study, which will include children and first responders. Researchers emphasized the importance of understanding the unique health impacts on these groups, who may be at a higher risk for long-term health effects due to exposures. This phase of the study was supported by $2.3 million in funding from the State of Hawaiʻi. Study organizers shared details on how these new participants will contribute to building a more complete picture of the wildfire’s impact across generations and help shape prevention.
The event was also attended by U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, and other elected officials, who highlighted the benefits of the study and encouraged residents to join and enroll.
For more information on the study and to sign up as a participant, visit the MauiWES website.
In May 2024, MauiWES published one of the most comprehensive reports to date on the social and health impacts of the wildfires. The MauiWES interactive dashboard continues to be a vital resource, offering real-time data and insights for the community and stakeholders.
This public impact research project is the result of an ongoing partnership between UHERO, JABSOM and UH Maui College.
