A group of 22 radiologists from 7 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) are undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Radiology Fundamentals, in another step to broaden the region’s medical expertise.

The Pacific Community (SPC) with funding from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) facilitated this opportunity offered by Radiology Across Borders (RAB) in collaboration with the University of British Columbia, Canada.

The Pacific region has been spared from the mass outbreaks of COVID-19 that have taken place throughout the world over the last year. But while Pacific nations can be rightly proud of their quick actions to control the disease,  they are not relaxing monitoring efforts and are ensuring that their health systems are prepared.

The small island nation of Nauru is one of the few places with no COVID cases recorded. Nevertheless, Nauru is staying alert and working closely with partners to invest in training and preparation health programs

The need to have more specialized nurses was also discussed at the inaugural Pacific Heads of Nursing meeting earlier this year. This meeting was timely given that 2020 is the year of the nurses and midwives and allowed Pacific heads of nursing to connect with each other, share challenges, solutions and provide support for capacity building.

Did you know that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) represent one of the most serious challenges to the health and wellbeing of youth in the Pacific region?  

In the ‘Pacific Youth Development Framework 2014 – 2023’, young people identified NCDs as a major development issue affecting their health, wellbeing and their futures. Approximately 75% of all deaths in the Pacific are due to NCDs. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop NCDs such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age.

With the fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic, the world started giving greater attention to health professionals who work at the frontline of the response. The crisis arrives at a time where more qualified health professionals are desperately needed: according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 9 million more nurses and midwives are needed globally if we want to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. It is to highlight that need, that WHO designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

Nursery and midwifery challenges and the leadership capacity of these disciplines must be strengthened at a national, regional & international level. This was the call from participants at the inaugural Pacific Heads of Nursing & Midwifery Meeting (PHoNM) held from the 11-14th of February in Nadi.

Thirteen Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) attended the PHoNM alongside nursing stakeholders and regional and international partners.

The Heads of Nursing from Pacific Island Countries and Territories will convene in Nadi, Fiji from the 11th- 13th of February 2020 for the inaugural Pacific Heads of Nurses (PHoN) Meeting. This is the first time such a meeting has taken place, reflecting the increasing recognition of the essential role nurses play in Pacific health services. 

For the third consecutive year, young people from different Pacific island states and territories have the opportunity to spread prevention and control messages for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) using different media, thanks to the Wake Up! Project, launched in 2017, with financial support from the Pacific Fund (France) and the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC).

The Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) are most vulnerable to health security risks brought by emerging and re-emerging infectious disease epidemics such as dengue fever or measles.

Strengthening public health laboratory services is crucial to ensure timely, accurate and reliable diagnosis of such diseases.