Niue records first COVID community cases
COVID-19 has arrived in the community in Niue. The government says four people, all from the same household, are being recorded as the first community cases. In the past 24 hours, Niue health authorities report
Nauru first COVID death; 10 active cases in Niue
Nauru has recorded its first death of COVID-19 as the country experiences its first community outbreak, while there are now 10 community cases in Niue. Nauru President Lionel Aingimea has expressed his condolences and
Opinion: Australia’s international health funding: commitments and challenges
by Cameron Hill and Huiyuan Liu While commentators have remarked on how little attention Australia’s domestic COVID-19 situation received in the 2022 federal election campaign, discussion of the global pandemic was
NCDs cannot be ignored says Tonga PM
Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni has called for a collective effort to tackle the leading cause of death and disability in Tonga – heart disease, diabetes and some cancers – in a
Opinion: PNG’s new health plan: “Leaving no one behind is everybody’s business”
By Di Brown, Kylie McKenna and Michele Rumsey Following nearly two years of COVID-19 prompted commentary on the vulnerabilities of the health system in Papua New Guinea, the country’s new National Health Plan
COVID-19, climate change and non communicable diseases
Pacific health ministers respond to health crises COVID-19 is a big opportunity for Pacific countries to transform their health systems, the region’s health ministers have heard. COVID-19, non communicable diseases
Mass resignation in Yap state hospital
The mass resignation of 40 doctors and nurses at Yap State Hospital, has prompted Yap State Governor Jesse Salalu to declare a state of emergency. “There is no sufficient pool of qualified nurses and doctors available
Samoa COVID-19 positive cases on the rise
Samoa’s total number of active COVID-19 cases has increased to 196, with the government confirming 192 cases in Upolu and four cases in Savai’i. The Government Press Secretariat’s community transmission update
Easy Ways to Love and Respect Your Eyes
Over 1.1 billion people in the world are blind or vision impaired, but four out of five of those people don’t need to be. CEO of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, Dr Audrey Aumua says we must do more to care for our
“People want to travel, they want to live again”
As coronavirus began spreading around the world in early 2020, even the far-flung islands of French Polynesia were affected. The first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Tahiti on 10 March 2020, after politician Maina
CHANGING WEATHER HEIGHTENS STROKE RISK
New data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study shows that low ambient temperature is an increasing stroke risk factor around the world. Global warming not only produces hotter summers and extreme weather events
BUSTING the MYTHS around STROKE
A Pacific language video series by the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) is highlighting key facts around stroke, in an attempt to bust the myths around this neurological disease. Stroke is a disease of the brain
The new diplomacy: Vaccines and soft power
Despite efforts to coordinate coronavirus vaccine delivery on a regional and global basis, Pacific Island governments are increasingly meeting their vaccine needs through bilateral arrangements, a situation which is
Obese? Fat? No!
In early 2014, a group of ‘fairly decent’ runners living and working out of Fiji’s capital, Suva decided to pursue the idea of creating a platform to promote marathon running for Pacific islanders, and to use it
SPC: Health and wellness resources available for Pacific People
According to the World Health Organization global health survey in 2016, 71% of deaths globally were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the Pacific, NCDs are the leading cause of deaths accounting for 75% of
Pacific People 2020: Palau’s health frontliners
It is almost the end of 2020 and Palau has remained one of the handful of countries globally which have not registered a single case since the coronavirus outbreak was designated a pandemic in March. For
Food Revolutionaries
The founder of the Pacific Island Food Revolution says the campaign’s work on changing food choices in the Pacific region is “super relevant” in the current global coronavirus pandemic. “Our project is about
PNG: COVID cases up, POM locks down
PNG’s Acting Health Secretary has announced another suspected death from COVID-19 in the Nation’s Capital. Dr Paison Dakulala said a 35-year-old health worker died due to respiratory illness as a result of
After COVID- what next for Pacific heath systems?
The Pacific’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to lead to increased scrutiny of health budgets and investments in our region. However first there are the very pressing questions of how to scale up response
Going viral – Measles outbreak takes a heavy toll
The deadly measles outbreak currently spreading through the Pacific is exacting a great human, and likely significant economic cost. At least 60 children and one adult in Samoa have died from measles or its
Understanding history to plan the future
A Solomons doctor in Cuba THE journey of Pacific Islands medical students who study in Cuba can be difficult. One such graduate, Solomon Islander Priscilla Druscilla Kana, is currently completing a two-year internship