Louisa Akavi is a New Zealander of Cook Islander descent. She grew up in Rarotonga and grew up in Wellington's Porirua suburb. Akavi completed her training at Wellington Hospital in 1977 and then worked as a staff nurse for two years. She later traveled to Scotland to do midwifery training and also worked for two years in London. After returning to New Zealand, Akavi worked at Wellington Hospital before joining the New Zealand Red Cross.
