SPC

Tonga: Infection, prevention and control necessary for COVID-19

A two-day IPC workshop was held earlier this month with health care workers at the Prince Ngu Hospital in Vava’u Tonga.

The workshop was organized by the Tongan Ministry of Health IPC team and virtually co-facilitated by the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Public Health Division with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the European Union (EU).

Partnerships strengthened to support Pacific health sector responses to COVID-19

This follows the new Financing Agreement the EU and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) signed, to repurpose funding to support the Pacific’s response to COVID-19.

Exchange of maritime boundaries data to boost fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance in region

This milestone also represents the achievement of a key outcome under the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) programme to reduce Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through enhanced Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) of oceanic and coastal fisheries. It comes at an opportune time with the global focus of World Oceans Day on 8 June being “Innovation for a sustainable ocean. Together we can protect our home.”

SPC warns of threat to fisheries from Covid-19

The director of the SPC's fisheries division, Neville Smith, said they were working to minimise the impact on the tuna fishery, the coastal fishery and on aquaculture.

Mr Smith said exports from fisheries and Pacific food security were now more important than ever.

He said fisheries observers not being able to travel, along with port closures, were a threat to the finances of the hugely important tuna fishery.

SPC updates Pacific nutrition guidelines

This was also a chance for SPC to emphasise the guidelines to attendees on the UN assembly's declaration that 2016 to 2025's is the decade for nutrition action.

NCD advisor for the public health division (of SPC) Karen Fukofuka said the guidelines were drawn up in 2000 and the revision of the principles only started last year.

Ms Fukofuka said it was important that the messages were current and consistent for the Ministry of Health and other non-health partners to distribute to the community.

Pacific energy and transport officials reminded of importance of regional partnerships

Opening the meeting, Mr Sovaleni emphasised the importance of members discussing the important topics included in the conference agenda over the next few days.

The Pacific Community (SPC), in partnership with the Government of Tonga is hosting the two day officials meeting, preceding the Ministerial meeting to open on Wednesday this week.

New regional initiative targets improvement in health service delivery

This programme will be implemented through a partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC), the Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science, and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

In the new Pacific Regional Clinical Services and Workforce Improvement Programme, SPC will play a central role in supporting Pacific Island countries (PICs) to work together to improve regional governance for clinical services and health workforce development.

SPC congratulates Tonga diplomat for UN appointment

 Ms 'Utoikamanu is the UN's new High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

She was appointed by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

The SPC director-general, Colin Tukuitonga said Ms 'Utoikamanu, who is a former SPC deputy director-general, was an accomplished and well respected diplomat.

He said the SPC is confident she would lead her office with great vision, integrity and resolve.

 

Photo: Pacific Community Fekita 'Utoikamanu 

‘Grab bags’ save lives at sea

This was shared by Pacific Community’s (SPC) Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga and European Union (EU) Head of Cooperation to Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, Ioannis-Pavlos Evangelidis.

 The emergency grab bags were provided under the Development of Tuna Fisheries in the Pacific Project (DevFish2), an EU project which was implemented regionally by SPC and the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).

Agreement boosts disease response in Pacific Islands

The Pacific Community (SPC) and the Fiji National University (FNU) have signed an agreement for the further development, implementation and accreditation of the region’s Postgraduate Certificate in Field Epidemiology, also known as the Pacific Data for Decision Making Training course.

 “We’re very pleased with this new agreement with FNU that will help in building sustainable human resources for public health data analysis, surveillance and epidemiology in the Pacific,” said SPC Director of Public Health, Dr Paula Vivili.