American Samoa

Our correspondent Fili Sagapolutele said crystal meth is such a commonly used drug now that the taskforce was created to formulate strategies to curb the use of illicit drugs and narcotics.

Fili Sagapolutele said the statistics on illegal drug use in the Territory are outdated.

"They are working with the community and they've started to conduct outreach, working with government officials and village leaders, just in the hope to get this drug problem down.

"One of the issues that has come up recently is what are the statistics?"

According to the CDC, the study showed during the first trimester, women in the US territories with confirmed Zika infection had a baby or fetus with Zika-related birth defects 8 percent of the time.

That frequency dropped to 5 percent in the second trimester and 4 percent in the third trimester.

The nine-month average was just over 5.5 percent.

The analysis is based on information from more than 2,500 women who completed their pregnancies last April in American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.

Director of Homeland Security Samana Semo Veavea said when the governor gives approval, a team of police, Coast Guard and Homeland Security agents will be sent to Ta'u.

The local marine safety detachment unit had conducted interviews and forwarded a report to Honolulu.

Residents said they had seen what appeared to be two large unidentified vessels offshore late at night.

They also claimed that two small boats were sighted making their way to shore between Friday night and early Saturday morning.

Health officials have continued a public awareness programme, focusing on the health risks involved in smoking and a reminders of laws banning smoking in public facilities, including schools and public transportation.

During a House of Representatives health committee hearing, lawmaker Vui Florence Saulo asked Talauega about banning the importation of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Talauega said the products shouldn't be banned, and there were other ways to reduce cigarette consumption like increasing the cost through excise tax.

In his Flag Day proclamation, Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga said the people have always believed that through the success of children, the future of the people of American Samoa and the culture will be assured.

The bill was sponsored by Congresswoman Aumua Amata and five others including Hawai'i Representative.  Tulsi Gabbard and Northern Mariana Islands Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan.

During a debate last month Aumua praised her predecessor, as a "true public servant" who had served in the US Army and been deployed to Vietnam.

Aumua said Faleomavaega dedicated his life to improving conditions for veterans in American Samoa and took great pride in securing funds to build the local VA clinic, which has served veterans well.

The Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga has approved using part of the $US1 million the territory received from the federal government following the 2009 tsunami, which damaged and destroyed many "alia" boats, to hire a dedicated mechanic for the Manu'a islands.

The Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources will also be hiring a contractor to complete the repairs of the boats located in Manu'a and purchase necessary supplies for the boats there.

Manu'a alia boat owners have been asking for help from the government to repair their alia boats for years.

Two doctors from the Department of Health have been sent to help out at the Pediatric Department of the LBJ Hospital, after the sudden death of long serving paediatrician, Dr Tagilima Iatala, last week.

A replacement is due on island next week.

The chief medical officer at the LBJ, Iotamo Salepaga, said the two public health doctors would mean they could manage until then.

But some medical staff said the situation was more serious than what the LBJ management is making it out to be.

The emergency was declared on 3 March.

Eight cases of dengue have been confirmed in the latest outbreak.

Questions have been raised over the declaration after no emergency was declared when people died of dengue two years ago.

American Samoa's Director of Health Motusa Tuileama Nua said the declaration means the territory could get federal money to help prevent, diagnose and treat dengue.

He pointed to the Zika outbreak in the territory for which the US government has provided US$5 million for the next three years.

There were also two confirmed cases of dengue in the months of November and December last year.

Suspected cases as on the middle of February stood at 30.

The Department of Health said the strain found in the latest cases was dengue serotype 2, which has not been in the territory since 1972 and so anyone born after that date has no immunity.