Page 14 - IB April 2022

Health Health

COVID-19, CLIMATE CHANGE AND

NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

PACIFIC HEALTH MINISTERS RESPOND TO HEALTH CRISES

By Kite Pareti agreed Dr Marc Jacobs, Director of WHO Technical Support for
the Pacific.
COVID-19 is a big opportunity for Pacific countries to trans- Dr Jacobs emphasised that every country’s health system—
form their health systems, the region’s health ministers have not just those in the Pacific—have been struggling to deal with
heard. COVID-19, and have had to reprioritise some of their services
COVID-19, non communicable diseases and climate change and reassign staff temporarily, which has affected the delivery
were the focus of the recent Pacific Health Ministers Meeting. of other health services.
Global health crises meant it was the perfect moment to During the meeting, Minister Taape highlighted his nation’s
make a real difference for the whole Pacific, the meeting’s quick response to WHO’s guidelines. Tuvalu remains one of the
chair, Tuvalu’s Health Minister Isaia Taape told his counter- few places on earth not to record any COVID positive cases.
parts. “I’m proud to say that Tuvalu heeded WHO’s warning back in
“Many of our countries have small health teams, so if there early 2020 and acted immediately to [protect] our population.
are opportunities to kill two, three, four birds with one stone, We launched our COVID-19 task force in late January 2020; we
then we should do that. Strengthening laboratory capacity, closed our borders to high risk countries in February 2020, and
for example, will help countries now during the pandemic, then closed our borders to all international [flights] in March
but will also be helpful in responding to many other diseases 2020,” Taape said.
in future, such as tuberculosis, dengue and measles. This However, Tuvalu remains vigilant.
meeting therefore came at the right time to share ideas, think “We are also lucky that we are able to keep our borders
strategically and identify the key actions needed to set up closed, not every country has that luxury. We know that
our health systems to save lives now, and also long after the one day COVID-19 will arrive [on] our shores and we will be
pandemic,” said Minister Taape. ready,” Taape stressed.
“COVID is actually a big opportunity for Pacific countries.
Because of the focus on health and the support for strength- Temperature check: Health improvements
ening the COVID response in the Pacific, there’s actually a big The COVID response has led to improved lab and testing
opportunity to strengthen capacities in the health system that facilities across the region. Dr Berlin Kafoa, Director of the
won’t just be useful for the pandemic response, but it will be Public Health Division, at the Pacific Community (SPC) said for
useful for many years ahead and for many different issues,” example in Solomon Islands, they can now ask the “next level

14 Islands Business, April 2022