A healthy diet is critical to the healthy development of a growing baby and pregnancy presents an opportunity to promote good health and break the cycle of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  The Pacific guidelines for healthy eating during pregnancy is a handbook for health professionals and educators designed to maximise health outcomes for both expectant mother and her child.

Health experts were quick to identify that persons living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, chronic lung diseases and cancers were more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with COVID-19.

According to the WHO global health survey in 2016, 71% of deaths globally were due to NCDs. In the Pacific, NCDs are the leading case of deaths accounting for 75% of mortality. This is worrying as the Pacific represents a region that is vulnerable to the current health crisis.

The Pacific Community (SPC) has published a handbook on Pacific healthy dietary guidelines for people with diabetes, which is intended for health professionals and educators who provide health advice on nutrition and dietetic interventions for people with diabetes in the region. 

SPC’s Public Health Division (PHD) led consultations and development of this dietary guideline which is evidence-based and built on global recommendations and designed it to be culturally appropriate to all Pacific communities.

2020 World No Tobacco Day Focuses on Youth

Tobacco is a preventable risk factor for many non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, lung and heart diseases. Despite these well-known facts, tobacco use remains high globally and is a major risk factor for NCDs in the Pacific.

31^st May marks World No Tobacco day and this year’s theme is protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use.  

Tobacco and Pacific youth

The Pacific Community’s (SPC) Public Health Division launched a recipe contest in February this year to promote healthy eating and to encourage the use of local ingredients. It is important to promote healthy, locally sourced recipes with reduced levels of sugars, salt and fat, to help combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are responsible for 75% of deaths in the region.

The Pacific Community (SPC) is calling for contestants to join the Pacific Healthy Recipe Contest and showcase their cooking skills and creativity to promote healthy eating and prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

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).

We know what Diabetes is- Let’s curb it

The Pacific region continues to advocate for a holistic approach with its efforts to addressing diabetes, an increasing catastrophe in the region other than extreme weather events. 14th November every year, marks World Diabetes Day and this year the theme is family and diabetes.