Sixty-two per cent of health facilities in 14 Pacific Island countries are within 500 meters of the sea or a river and are at risk of inundation and flooding during extreme weather events, according to a recent review by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Some of these 76 health facilities have been relocated, particularly in Fiji, Nauru, Niue, and Tonga.
During the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Tonga this week, Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, stressed the need to protect Pacific populations from the health impacts of climate change. In his meeting with prime ministers, presidents from across the region, and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Dr. Piukala urged leaders to take action on this and two other critical issues.
He also highlighted the need for substantial investments in the health workforce, urging leaders to invest in the training and retention of health workers so they remain in their countries to meet local needs. He further underscored the urgency of accelerating efforts to address noncommunicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, which account for at least 70% of deaths in the region.
Recent reports indicate that tropical cyclones account for 76% of disasters in the Pacific, causing significant health impacts including infrastructure damage, injury, and death. In the South-West Pacific, hydrometeorological hazard events such as storms and floods resulted in more than 200 deaths and affected over 25 million people last year alone.
As the Pacific leaders concluded their meeting, Dr. Piukala called for increased investment in climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities, and increased international climate financing to support the transition.
Photo: File
