Josephine Aumea Herman is a Cook Islands medical doctor and public servant. Since June 2018 she has served as Secretary of Health in the Cook Islands government.
A doctor with a research PhD, [1] Herman studied medicine in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and at the University of Auckland. [2] Her doctoral advisors were Shanthi Ameratunga and Rod Jackson. [1] She is a volunteer with the organization DAISI, Doctors Assisting in South-Pacific Islands, and is vice-chair of Pacific Heads of Health. [3] [4] [5] [2] In her official capacity she has been responsible for coordinating the government's response to the 2019 outbreak of dengue fever on the islands. [6] [7] She has spoken of the need to preserve Cook Islands Māori. [8] Herman is the aunt of current Cook Islands Secretary of Internal Affairs Anne Herman; the two were named to their department secretary roles at the same time by Prime Minister Henry Puna. [2]