Health & Well-Being

Health conditions and environments are often unique to particular cultural heritage groups. Imagine having to deliver health services to a population dispersed across hundreds of island groups and remote atolls, covering distances of thousands of kilometers, while facing extremely high operational costs as well as infrequent transport links.

This is the reality that the 19 Pacific nations face in terms of unique logistical and financial challenges in designing and delivering health care. Specialist and hospital-based care is limited to areas that are densely populated and to locations where hospitals and clinics can be properly resourced and staffed. Improving health problems in Pacific nations is a challenging endeavor; infrastructure is often lacking, the hospital workforce is irregular and distances between islands can prevent timely access to medical care.

People often have to travel long distances and at great cost to receive the care they need. Some smaller Pacific nations are unable to offer specialist services, meaning that overseas medical referrals are more frequent than other countries at similar stages of development. As a result, many islands spend a disproportionate percentage of health finance on medical referrals and evacuations, both within and outside the country. These referrals also involve high indirect costs for patients, their families and society more broadly.

  • Objective
  • Strategies
  • Outcomes

To enhance the health and well-being of local populations across the Pacific Ocean to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives.

Commit to supporting the addition and upgrade of equipment for hospitals and clinics, in the event of an emergency, and extra means to be acquired.

Leverage the organization’s network by working with relevant individuals and partner organizations to identify and supply communities with resources through projects and initiatives.

Coordinate annual events at the local and subregional levels to create community health awareness and promote discussion of specific health and well-being.

Improved health and well-being services focused on helping maintain or improve the quality of life of Pacific Island populations, who use those services (long-term).

Improved physical infrastructure in hospitals and clinics (intermediate).

Increased access to appropriate health, medical and humanitarian relief efforts (intermediate).

Enhanced facilities and networks to support and host health-related events and tackle challenges unique to particular heritage groups (intermediate).

  • Objective
  • Strategies
  • Outcomes
  • To enhance the health and well-being of local populations across the Pacific Ocean to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives.
  • Commit to supporting the addition and upgrade of equipment for hospitals and clinics, in the event of an emergency, and extra means to be acquired.
  • Leverage the organization’s network by working with relevant individuals and partner organizations to identify and supply communities with resources through projects and initiatives.
  • Coordinate annual events at the local and subregional levels to create community health awareness and promote discussion of specific health and wellbeing.
  • Improved health and well-being services focused on helping maintain or improve the quality of life of Pacific Island populations, who use those services (long-term).
  • Improved physical infrastructure in hospitals and clinics (intermediate).
  • Increased access to appropriate health, medical and humanitarian relief efforts (intermediate).
  • Enhanced facilities and networks to support and host health-related events and tackle challenges unique to particular heritage groups (intermediate).