Page 16 - IB April 2022

Health

“Fundamentally, effective action on NCDs is a whole of
government action and also action that actively engages with
communities - it’s not all top-down… it’s just as much bottom-
up being driven by local communities. It’s not telling people
they should eat less and exercise more, it’s not about that. It’s
about making it easier for people to make healthy choices,” Dr
Jacobs told Islands Business.
“A lot of what we would call the social health determinants,
the drivers of non communicable diseases, often, are not
actually direct health issues. They are issues around access to
food supply or concern about violence if people go exercise or
what the taxation policies are like in a particular country,” he
added.
The ministers endorsed the Pacific Legislative Framework for
Non-communicable Diseases at the meeting; a guide to legisla-
tion, taxes and policies to encourage Pacific Islanders to make
healthier choices. Minister Taape said law enforcement on NCD
prevention is a “very serious issue” and he believes it is the
responsibility of health ministers to oversee all food imports in
their respective countries as a measure to prevent NCDs.
“The Pacific has got an opportunity now to improve legis-
lation, improve policies and so on, on NCD risk factors like
tobacco, alcohol and nutrition, and to work with communities the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region, merge
to make it easier for people to make healthier choices. This is around four focus areas:
really a unique opportunity for bold action, the political will • advocacy to bring health into the centre of the climate
exists, the financial support exists.” change discussion;
A recent paper by Samoan doctor and academic, Toleafoa Dr • building resilience into health systems to face the cli-
Viali Lameko stressed the need for legislative action, writing mate crisis;
“obesity is a political as well as a policy issue”. • strengthening regional and national scientific work to
“If the Government of Samoa is to offset the rising cost monitor the impact of climate change and the environ-
of treating NCDs, it will have to adopt a more active multi- ment on health to inform evidence-based interventions
sectoral approach which could include laws, taxes, tariffs, and actions; and,
and subsidies to increase consumption of fresh local food and • applying a climate change and environment lens to all
decrease consumption of imported food,” he writes. areas of the health sector’s work.
“But such measures will be politically unpopular, especially Dr Jacobs believes health systems should be ready to meet
with local importers, wholesalers, retailers, and manufactur- these rising health needs into the future, and ensure facilities
ers. can continue treating patients even in the face of our changing
“Unless carefully applied, such measures may make food climate.
too expensive for public consumption. Local manufacturers He adds the health sector must shine a light on climate ac-
produce beer, soft drinks, ice cream, and various snack foods tion, and the intersections between health and other sectors.
made from ingredients imported via global supply chains. Local “The transport sector, for example, might be looking at ways
merchants import hundreds of similar inexpensive products.” of encouraging people to not drive their car so much and use
public transport more, or use bikes more, so doing that pro-
Putting health at the heart of climate change duces some benefits from a transport sector perspective, but
In response to climate change threats to Pacific lives, liveli- it also can reduce air pollution. It also can increase people’s
hoods and health care facilities, nine PICs (Fiji, Kiribati, the physical activity. So all of those different sorts of things are
Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, additional health benefits of the action that the other sector
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) have made prog- wants to take,” Dr Jacobs said.
ress in the development of Health National Adaptation Plans “The health sector [also] needs to think about its own
(H-NAPs) or their equivalents. Others have considered climate carbon footprint and how it can be reduced. Because I think
change resilience in their national disaster risk-reduction there [are] estimates that suggest that about 5% of global
plans. However, the health ministers heard there are still gaps greenhouse gas emissions are from the health sector. So we do
that need to be addressed, including translating the plans into need to be thinking about walking the talk ourselves as well,”
practical action and investing in human and financial resources Dr Jacobs added.
for health adaptation and mitigation measures.
The priorities laid out in the Pacific Islands Action Plan on reporter@islandsbusiness.com
Climate Change and Health and the WHO vision paper, For

16 Islands Business, April 2022