[PDFlist] 15 August, 2018 - News from Around the Pacific Today

[Soloveni Vitoso]

News from Around the Pacific Today
In this bulletin:

1. COOKS --- PM Puna admits holiday inference
2. NZ --- Pacific MP supports government bill to allow medicinal cannabis for the terminally ill
3. IDN --- Fiji Defense minister meets with Indonesian counterpart
4. PNG --- Emergency Disaster controller calls on investigators to return to Mendi
5. VAN --- No bottle water shipment to Maewo: Water Cluster
6. TONGA --- Tonga's Women and Children Crisis Centre strengthen skills to answer calls for help
7. NZ --- Pacific artists push for more support
8. PACNEWS BIZ --- PNG Hotel industry urged to be realistic in pricing
9. PACNEWS BIZ --- Air NZ's price rise for excess luggage a little too excessive for some Niuean travelers
10. PACNEWS IN FOCUS --- Work on Guam's $8.7 billion portion of Pacific realignment gaining momentum, officials say
11. PACNEWS DIGEST --- Wake up! Engaging youth in non-communicable disease prevention and control
12. PACNEWS DIGEST --- Nutrition education needed to reduce NCDs in Vanuatu


PM Puna admits holiday inference

RAROTONGA, 15 AUGUST 2018 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS) --- Caretaker PM Henry Puna has admitted people might have thought that there would be a public holiday on Friday, June 15, on Rakahanga based on what he said during a Cook Islands Party (CIP) meeting on the island on June 12.

Puna, the party leader, took the stand before Chief Justice Sir Hugh Williams at the High Court Monday, to give evidence on the allegation leveled against him in the Rakahanga election petition case.

Democratic Party leader Tina Browne, who lost the Rakahanga seat in the June 14 election to CIP's Toka Hagai, alleged that during a meeting with the voters on June 12, Puna had declared that June 14 and 15 would be public holidays on Rakahanga.

The significant purpose for the declaration of a public holiday by the caretaker PM was political, namely to procure the election of Hagai, Browne alleged.

During cross-examination, Browne's NZ-based lawyer Isaac Hikaka asked Puna if he would accept that people could have taken that there was a holiday on Friday, June 15, from what he said during the gathering.

To which the PM replied, "I guess if they wanted to take it, yes, they might have."

Puna told the court the meeting on June 12 was to consolidate support. He said he was not sure who organised the meeting, adding he was being taken from campaign to campaign in the lead up to the election.

He also said the gathering was legal under the law, adding they could have held such a gathering right up until the election morning before the electorates went to the polling booth to cast their votes.

Puna said during the June 12 meeting, he told the people present that Election Day was a day off, "in the sense that employers are required to give their workers time off to go to the polling booth to cast their vote".

Hikaka told the court that Puna had also said it was up to the mayor and the island government to give island residents the time off on Friday.

"In fact, I laughed at the question because it was actually the mayor's wife that asked the question and I said...'you ask your husband; he is the boss whether people get time off on Friday'."

Hikaka also asked Puna if he was aware that the mayor and the island government had no power to declare a public holiday, to which the PM replied that at times, the island council had been known to grant days off to its employees on special occasions.

Puna also told the court that the totality of the comments he made on the evening of June 12 had been in a jovial manner because it was such a happy gathering.

Hikaka and his counterpart Brian Mason also presented their final submissions yesterday to wrap up the Rakahanga petition case.

The High Court will today hear the petition filed by the Demos' Teina Rongo, who made an application against CIP's Albert Nicholas for the Avatiu-Ruatonga-Palmerston seat.

The hearing of the Ngatangiia petition from CIP's Kaka Ama against Tamaiva Tuavera of the Democratic Party will take place tomorrow, followed by the Murienua petition filed by James Beer of Demos against CIP's Patrick Arioka, on August 20.

The Mauke electoral petition filed by OCI's Tungane Williams against CIP's Tai Tura will be heard August 20.

Pacific MP supports government bill to allow medicinal cannabis for the terminally ill

AUCKLAND, 15 AUGUST 2018 (PACIFIC RADIO NEWS) --- A Pacific MP is supporting a proposed law change allowing medicinal cannabis to be prescribed by doctors for terminally ill people.

Currently, cannabis-based products requires Ministerial approval before it can be prescribed, supplied or administered.

The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill proposes to give terminally ill people, expected to die within the year, the right to possess and use cannabis-based products to alleviate pain.

Earlier this year, Labour List MP 'Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki voted down a Green Party bill allowing medicinal cannabis to be grown and used by those who are sick.

However, she says she supports the coalition government's current bill.

"As a Tongan, I welcome the coalition government's bill because one, it will relieve pain and two, we're going to set up an organisation that will regulate how cannabis is grown in New Zealand," she says.

"Chloe Swarbrick's bill was for people to grow their own and I don't support that... If you're able to grow your own there's no regulation authority to say what type of plant you can grow. That's why I said no. I didn't support if the dangerous part of cannabis can be grown in your backyard and anyone can have access to it."

Kanongata'a-Suisuiki is on the Select Committee for the bill, which received 1786 submissions from the public and different organisations.

She says in terms of Pacific input, there was very little to none.

"There weren't a lot of Pacific people that came to voice their opinions, but for me personally and the people that I associate with, they believe that if this is going to ease the pains of their loved ones then it's something that they will support."

Kanongata'a-Suisuiki is hoping more Pacific people speak up on issues like this especially when it is being considered in Parliament.

"As a new member of parliament, we really need to understand the importance of our voice when things go through to Select Committee... Send an email, voice your opinion because members of parliament do listen to it."

Submissions to the Select Committee have pushed for the bill to also allow the chronically ill people to access the drug as well.

Kanongata'a-Suisuiki says the Select Committee disagrees but the bill will be considered again when it goes back to Parliament for debate.

The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill also proposes to deschedule cannabidiol as a controlled drug and allow easier access to medicinal cannabis products.

Fiji Defence minister meets with Indonesian counterpart

JAKARTA, 15 AUGUST 2018 (DEPTFO NEWS) --- Fijian Minister for Defence and National Security, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola made a courtesy call to his Indonesian counterpart Gen. (Ret.) Ryamizard Ryacudu this week.

During the meeting, Minister Kubuabola and General Ryacudu discussed areas of cooperation including capacity building.

Minister Kubuabola also expressed his condolences on behalf of the Fijian government and the people of Fiji to the people of Indonesia affected by the recent earthquake.

The Defence Minister also visited the Police headquarters in Jakarta and met with the National Chief of Indonesian Police, Police-General Muhammad Tito Karnavian and senior police officers as part of the Melanesian Spearhead Group Police Ministers' Visit Programme in Jakarta, Indonesia.

They discussed the use of latest policing techniques to combat crime, traffic management, counter-terrorism and cyber security. The Minister and his delegation were given a tour of the Indonesian Police Metro Jaya Regional facilities including the Strategic Information and Tactical Operation Centre and the Traffic Command Centre. They were also briefed on the security preparations of the upcoming ASEAN games, IMF conference in Bali in October, 73rd Independence Day celebration this month and the ensuing national election campaign.

Minister Kubuabola in the process noted the joint operations involving the Police and Military in the evacuation and rehabilitation of the people of Lombok on the recent earthquake.

The Minister was also expected to meet the Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to further Fiji's relations with Indonesia in areas of common interests.

Emergency Disaster controller calls on investigators to return to Mendi

PORT MORESBY, 15 AUGUST 2018 (POST COURIER) --- The controller of the Papua New Guinea emergency disaster restoration team, Dr Bill Hamblin is calling on the police investigators to go back to Mendi to complete the job and make arrests as his office will fund the operation.

Dr Hamblin is also calling on the constabulary to come up with a genuine budget seeking assistance to fund the police operation in Mendi as his office is ready to help.

He said this in response to the Post-Courier front page report that police investigators involved in the Mendi town mayhem and others were forced to withdraw due to lack of government funding.

Dr Hamblin said, in an interview, that while his state of emergency is in force and active, the Thomas Eluh-led state of emergency is not effective and therefore the constabulary should have consulted his office if they needed assistance.

He said police have a duty to the public and the nation and therefore they need to go back and complete their work by investigating and making arrest of all those involved in the destructions in Mendi.

"I want them to go and arrest those responsible for the destruction and looting of K2 million (US$615,000) worth of relief supplies in a warehouse in Mendi and therefore I will fund the allowances and accommodation of the policemen involved in the operation.

"I'm happy to see police come here. They have not come to ask for help to pay for the TA and the accommodation of the officers engaged to do a good work of addressing law and order in Mendi. We'll be happy to fund it," Dr Hamblin said.

"My state of emergency Act was the only one passed by Parliament and not the one led by Eluh so I'm not aware if the K6 million (US$1.8 million) earmarked for the operation has been paid or not but since my Act has been passed, we are happy to help as it covers the Southern Highlands. However, I want them to also investigate the looting of the K2 million worth of relief supplies (food, shelter and clothing) from a warehouse in Mendi and arrest those culprits to face the full force of the law.

"We also want the K24, 000 worth of vaccines destroyed by criminals and also the theft of water tanks to be investigated and I want them arrested.

"We will absolutely fund and we have to have a sensible budget and I will fund it as we can't allow the investigations to stop.

"If we cannot deal with the criminals then what is the future hold for PNG.

"We have to make arrest and therefore the police have a duty to go back and complete the investigations and make the arrest as I will fund it. There is no excuse," he said.

No bottle water shipment to Maewo: Water Cluster

PORT VILA, 15 AUGUST 2018 9VANUATU DAILY POST) --- The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster lead by the Vanuatu Department of Water Resources has announced its decision to stop the shipment of bottled water for evacuees on Maewo.

The water on Maewo is safe for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes, WASH Coordinator, Malatu Paolo, conveyed from Maewo.

"We do not want to see more shipments of bottle waters to Maewo," Paolo said.

"It will pollute the environment here.

"The 500 cartons of bottled water we (WASH Cluster teams) came to Maewo with are for emergency situations only."

WASH Coordinator said these were distributed to the evacuees on arrival, while they are waiting for the Shelter Cluster to sort out their relocation sites.

"Once they reach the host communities, they can rely on existing water systems," Paolo said.

"These existing water systems are small as they were built to provide water to a small population.With the influx number of evacuees, we will be upgrading all water systems to meet daily consumption needs.

"We are also ready to design and develop water systems in the permanent relocation sites once the materials arrive from Port Vila.

"The affected families rely most on rain water back home. They are slowly getting used to water supply in their new locations."

Apart from water, the WASH Cluster is distributing hygiene kits to evacuees and constructing public toilets in host communities.

Tarpaulins have also been distributed for affected families to set up temporary shelters.

Tonga's Women and Children Crisis Centre strengthen their skills to answer calls for help

NUKU'ALOFA, 15 AUGUST 2018 (UN WOMEN) --- After launching late last year, the Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) 24-hour helpline is now funded for the whole of 2018, with UN Women support, to sustain its valuable service for women and child survivors of violence.

This toll-free helpline provides safe, confidential access to essential information, referrals, and counselling - and helps to ensure that women and children in remote and rural areas are reached and supported.

To assist staff operating the helpline, UN Women ran a training session in Nuku'alofa, as part of its ongoing commitment to support the work of WCCC. Training topics covered include Crisis Counselling on a Gender-Based Violence Helpline Training, Mental Health Consequences of GBV Training, and Suicide First Aid Training.

WCCC has also released 19 stories of resilience, to give a voice to rural Tongan women and girls online by sharing their stories.

The multi-media initiative, 'This is my story of resilience: Women of Tonga', was supported by UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, in conjunction with Australian Aid-funded WCCC psycho-social support work to affected areas.

Pacific artists push for more support

AUCKLAND, 15 AUGUST 2018 (PACIFIC RADIO NEWS) --- Pacific artists based in New Zealand are pushing for a broader pool of funders they can draw on to help support their work.

Creative New Zealand's deputy chair Caren Rangi says that is one of the common themes emerging from a two-day Pacific Arts Summit in Wellington earlier this year.

The summit brought together senior, contemporary and emerging Pacific artists looking to lay foundations for their successors.

"There are other organisations that Pasifika artists would like more of a chance to connect to," says Rangi.

"The message to us was 'can you help us facilitate that so we can widen our sense of connections and networks'."

Rangi is pleased with the response from public and staff to the summit, and says Creative New Zealand is taking its time to ensure voices from smaller communities are also heard.

The feedback and discussions will all contribute to Creative New Zealand's Pacific Arts Strategy - a framework to guide and fund Pacific arts over the next five years.

"Post-August is when we hope to announce the strategy, making it clear to people where we're heading and also making clear what we heard them tell us," says Rangi.

PNG Hotel industry urged to be realistic in pricing

PORT MORESBY, 15 AUGUST 2018 (POST COURIER) --- The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission has called on major high-end hoteliers in the capital of Port Moresby to be realistic in their room rates in light of what it said was ever increasing prices.

With the onset of major events like APEC, the consumer watchdog has received numerous complaints from visitors from abroad and within on the expensive rates in the capital major hotels that continue to border beyond realism.

"We have over the years noticed increases in the room rates in the hotel industry since the LNG project came onboard.

"We experienced a good number of hotels in Port Moresby increasing their rates over this period and this is concerning especially for our consumers who wish to travel into Papua New Guinea for business, tourism, and for any other purpose.

"We would like to ask the hotel industry to reconsider the room rates they are applying currently in PNG," ICCC Commissioner Paulus Ain said.

He said while the LNG project resulted in the cost of hotel rooms to increase the opportunity with hotels expanding in Port Moresby, it was the commission's view that supply is enough in market for consumers to at least see some reduction in the rates.

"This has not been happening and they seem to be increasing. With the recent experience with APEC coming onboard we are seeing a lot of room rates being increased and this is indeed a concern to us the ICCC as the consumer watchdog.

"It is a disincentive to potential investors' tourists and anyone else who wish to visit this country given the current rate of affordability is restricting entry by people from abroad and the neighbouring countries.

"With the feedback that we are getting that the room rates are not affordable comparably to our neighbouring economies, some of our hotels similar to these hotels the room rates in our view are slightly unreasonable."

He added that the increases observed by the authority were for the high end part of the industry in major hotels operating in the city.

Ain said that while ICCC does not regulate the hotel industry, it will continue to monitor the prices from a distance.

Asked how it could intervene if it considered the industry does not budge to its call, the commission stated it would be subject to a market inquiry which would take place only after various requirements were met before the industry could be regulated, which the commission stated would not be the case at present.

Air NZ's price rise for excess luggage a little too excessive for some Niuean travellers

AUCKLAND, 15 AUGUST 2018 (PACIFIC RADIO NEWS) --- A recent price hike in excess baggage on Air New Zealand flights has disappointed some Niueans.

Air New Zealand, the only carrier to fly in and out of the Rock, increased the cost to purchase additional bags at the check-in counter by $50 (US$32), across its network.

The first additional piece on a short-haul flight to and from some Pacific Islands costs $170 (US$111). A second piece costs $250 (US$164) and a third or subsequent additional pieces cost $300 (US$197).

Pre-paid baggage options are not available on Niuean flights and travellers can only get the two pieces option on a Works Deluxe Fare.

A Niuean resident in New Zealand, Jenna Jacobsen Toeono, says options are limited for Niueans and they'll complain, but still pay the extra fees.

"With most airlines, if you prepay your baggage within your ticket, you can save your costs on paying it at the airport but we can't even do that, we're not even provided with that opportunity in the first place," she says.

"I guess that's the power that they [Air New Zealand] have because they're the monopoly and they can call the shots and us as consumers don't have an option."

Another Niuean resident who wishes to remain anonymous says Niueans have been "robbed".

"They [Air New Zealand] know that no matter what, our people will not stop travelling with excess kilos whether coming or going home."

"Politicians in Niue should do something to help their constituents who voted them into Parliament in Niue."

Air New Zealand says the price increase is a result of increased operating costs.


Work on Guam's $8.7 billion portion of Pacific realignment gaining momentum, officials say

By Matthew .M Burke
DEDEDO, 15 AUGUST 2018 (STARS AND STRIPES) --- Driving north on Route 3 toward the site of the yet-to-be-built Marine Corps Base Guam, signs of construction are everywhere. Workers clearing land and signs warning of detours because of unexploded ordnance are common sights.

The U.S. Pacific island territory is undergoing an US$8.7 billion metamorphosis that will see about 4,000 Okinawa-based Marines relocate here in the mid-2020s. About US$3 billion of the cost is being picked by the Japanese government.

While no firm date has been set for the massive project's completion - a fact criticised last year by the Government Accountability Office in Washington - U.S. military leaders on Guam say they've overcome significant challenges to keep things on track since ground was broken.

"It is clearly moving forward," said Capt. Daniel Turner, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas. "We're in the early stages of the main base ... There are a lot of very senior leaders that are, I think, pleased with where we're going because we are showing actual progress with clearing this site, and I think it's gaining momentum ... so it's great to see."

Seeing shovels in the ground has also pleased officials from Japan's Ministry of Defense, Turner said. A nearly US$165 million contract - paid by the Japanese government - for site preparation and utilities was awarded last summer to Granite-Obayashi, a joint venture based in Watsonville, Calif.

Turner said workers are clearing out the jungle and disposing of World War II-era munitions ahead of nearly 60 projects. Construction on unaccompanied barracks, which will be the first piece built, is about two years away. While the barracks go up, the rest of the site will be cleared and prepped.

There is also steady progress being made on a US$28.5 million contract for power upgrades for the new base. That work is expected to be completed in 2020.

 Okinawa issues

The Marine Corps' Asia-Pacific realignment was born out of massive protests after the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by two Marines and a sailor. Locals demanded the closure of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma due to safety concerns in a densely packed urban area and sought a smaller U.S. military footprint on the southern island prefecture.

The prefecture is home to about 30,000 U.S. troops - about half of all American servicemembers based in Japan - despite having about the same land area as Tokyo.

In 2006, some locals bristled when it was decided to keep Futenma's air operations on Okinawa by moving them to Camp Schwab on the remote northern coast.

In an attempt to appease locals, subsequent agreements promised to send an Okinawa-based KC-130 squadron to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on the Japanese mainland and move about 4,100 Marines to Guam. An additional 2,700 Okinawa-based Marines are to be sent to Hawaii, 800 to the U.S. mainland and 1,300 on a rotational basis to Australia. U.S. bases on Okinawa are also be consolidated.

Air facilities at Schwab were supposed to be completed by 2014, the GAO reported, but progress has been slowed, most notably by unsuccessful court challenges by Okinawa's anti-base Gov. Takeshi Onaga, who died suddenly last week after a bout with pancreatic cancer.

>From his hospital bed on July 27, Onaga launched one final battle with the central government, vowing to revoke permitting later this month for the base's new runway over environmental concerns. Its chances of success are seen as limited, based on previous court decisions. Landfill work for the runway is slated to begin on Aug. 17.

Active projects

Realignment plans call for the Marines' relocation to Guam to happen sometime between 2022 and 2026, said Donald Baldwin, deputy officer in charge for Marine Corps Activity Guam.

The ground-combat element, the logistics-combat element and much of the command-and-control operations will be at the new Marine base at Finegayan.

The aviation-combat element, along with its command and control and logistics support, will be at facilities being built at Andersen Air Force Base's north ramp, which hosts Marine and naval aviation.

Training ranges are also planned for Tinian and Pagan islands in the Marianas, but those projects have been delayed by local opposition over cultural and enviornmental concerns, the GAO reported.

About US$500 million worth of projects have been completed on Guam, Turner said. The biggest so far are at Andersen's north ramp.

A US$50 million contract paid for by the Japanese prepared the site, which now hosts a US$23 million parking apron for Marine aircraft, along with a US$55 million aviation maintenance hangar - one of two planned.

The first is designed for the MV-22 Osprey helicopter-plane hybrid, while the second, which has been awarded but not yet begun, will be compatible with several types of aircraft, including the F-35 joint strike fighter.

There is also a new north gate at Andersen for direct access to the Marine facilities from Route 9.

"There are a lot of active projects at the north ramp," Turner said.

A massive utility and site-improvement project - including water, sewer, power, steam, compressed air and oily waste infrastructure - has also been completed at Apra Harbor. The facilities will support Marine embarkation and debarkation from Navy vessels. That construction was paid for by the Japanese through a US$97 million contract.

A Marine wing support squadron facility at Andersen is almost finished, as are ground-support element shops.

Turner said the Defense Department is also funding off-base projects to improve the lives of Guamanians. About US$50 million went into the island's commercial port, and more than US$125 million is planned for wastewater treatment upgrades.

There also have been road projects between Naval Base Guam and the northern part of the island: $30.6 million for sewer interceptor repairs along Route 9; and $3.7 million for expanded monitoring of the aquifer.

In addition, they recently held a site dedication for a Defense Department-funded repository that will house cultural artifacts discovered on the island. About 5,000 endangered orchids have been relocated from construction sites and there are plans to restore 1,000 acres of forest on Guam, free from invasive species.

"We do have a fair amount in the rearview mirror ... but there's still a lot more to come," Turner said.

 'It's really happening'

The next substantial projects will be a multipurpose machine-gun range at Northwest Field and a residential neighborhood for Military Operations on Urban Terrain, or MOUT, training hosted at Andersen South Training Complex, Turner said.

Construction on the known distance ranges and live-fire training range complex has just begun. The $78 million project - scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2020 - will include four ranges and some support facilities.

The MOUT facility is one of several training areas being built at Andersen South Training Complex, according to Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas. Others include a driver and convoy course, hand-grenade range, shoot house and breacher facility, as well as range-support facilities and telecommunications. That contract is expected to be awarded in January, Turner said, with completion in 2021.

"The facilities are going to be state of the art," said Baldwin, the deputy officer in charge for Marine Corps Activity Guam. "They're going to be configurable ... it's going to be a very modern facility."

At Naval Base Guam, an US$18 million waterfront headquarters is expected to be completed next year and a US$56.7 million medical and dental clinic by 2020. A water well area at Northwest Field is also in the works to meet the increased water demand.

Military officials said their greatest hurdles appear to be behind them. They listened to the people of Guam and agreed to a more gradual development schedule - one that was more sensitive to environmental and cultural concerns.

They are also starting to see relief in the form of more temporary workers. A new interpretation of labor policies threatened to derail the realignment in 2016 when fewer H-2B visa approvals put a strain on Guam's local skilled labor force. Gov. Eddie Calvo threatened to pull his support as a result.

Turner said that 130 additional skilled foreign tradesmen have been approved and are on island, though only 45 were working onsite. The rest were awaiting security clearances, but are able to help with pre-fabrication work outside the fence line.

Baldwin said that, according to local surveys, about 80 percent of Guamanians support the relocation of Marines to Guam. The plan of record is set, though minor changes could occur according to a number of variables.

"The messaging has been very positive here locally, so I think that's the nice takeaway here," he said. "Guam is very pro-military ... if you go to north ramp on Andersen and you look at that, you'll say, 'Wow, it's really happening.'"

Wake up! Engaging youth in non communicable disease prevention and control

SUVA, 15 AUGUST 2-018 (SPC) --- The Pacific Islands are well known for their root crops, traditional meals and customary cooking styles.

In this unique part of the world, food is often prepared by digging a hole in the ground and burying raw natural crops and meat or fish with hot stones to create an 'earth oven'. This style of cooking has provided an organic and healthy diet for many generations.However, traditions are changing, and modern development has had a major impact on health in the region. The rapid increase in the consumption of imported processed foods and rise in physical inactivity has contributed to a rapid increase in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

At the same time, increasing tobacco consumption and alcohol abuse are contributing to respiratory disease and cancer. These trends are increasingly evident among the region's youth and are an issue of great concern across the Pacific.

However, many Pacific youth are determined to reverse these trends and raise awareness of the dangers of unhealthy lifestyles. In support of this effort, the Pacific Community (SPC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched the 'WAKE UP' project.

In 2017 SPC launched a call for proposals, inviting youth aged 15 to 25, to create videos that would promote healthy living as well as show the harsh consequences of NCDs. Unlike more traditional awareness campaigns, the WAKE UP project wanted the youth of the region to be the lead voices behind this critical issue. 33 young Pacific Islanders from youth groups from across the Pacific were selected to produce videos, representing seven Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) - New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Zealand.

The situation in the Pacific

According to Dr Colin Tukuitonga, Director-General at SPC, "seven out of ten countries in the world, with the highest prevalence of diabetes, are from the Pacific. Our region is also the epicentre for obesity. We are losing family members, friends and breadwinners to diseases which are largely preventable."

The statistics on youth in the Pacific are troubling. Approximately 34% of those aged 13-18 years in Samoa and Wallis and Futuna are active smokers; 78% of youth in Niue first drank alcohol before the age of 14; and over 35% of students are classified as obese in Cook Islands. (WHO)

Pacific leadership

Pacific leaders have recognised the challenge of NCDs and have taken concrete steps to combat the problem. In 2011, the Pacific Economics and Health Ministers declared the region to be in an NCD crisis and commissioned the development of the Pacific NCD Roadmap as a multi-sectoral approach to prevent and control NCDs in the region and at national level through these key strategies: Strengthened tobacco control; development of policies to reduce consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks; Improved efficiency and impact of resources  to target primary and secondary prevention and Strengthened evidence base for better investment and effectiveness.

PICTs, under the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, have also committed to the 'Tobacco Free Pacific by 2025' where 5 percent or less of the adult population use tobacco.

In 2016 Pacific Island leaders, ministers and officials from regional and global development agencies gathered for the first ever Pacific NCD Summit in Tonga, where the leaders joined to address the need for a more urgent and high level political leadership.  Presented in this form was an update on the PICTs progress with implementation of the Pacific NCDs Roadmap.

As well as providing the platform maximising the opportunities in linking and aligning country actions to the SDGs provides a good platform for addressing NCDs and meeting PICTs commitment to the SDGs.

The high-level gathering maximized the opportunities to link and align country actions and to address NCDs to meet the countries' commitments to achieving the SDGs.  The Pacific leaders continued to focus on the need for specific and measureable actions to prevent and control NCDs in the region.   As SPC's Director-General noted at the time, "There's no shortage of declarations, commitments and strategies aimed at addressing NCDs, but with up to 75 per cent of deaths in the Pacific related to NCDs, current efforts just aren't enough."

SPC chairs the Pacific Monitoring Alliance for NCD Action (MANA) taskforce which is responsible for the Pacific MANA, established to provide an accountability mechanism for better coordination and strengthened NCD monitoring in the region.  One of the tools developed was the MANA Dashboard to track PICTs' actions on NCD leadership and governance, prevention policies, health system response programmes, and routine monitoring.


Nutrition education needed to reduce NCDs in Vanuatu

AUCKLAND, 15 AUGUST 2018 (PACIFIC PERISCOPE) --- Education on nutrition is one way of addressing the problem of non-communicable diseases, says Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce member Carolyn Ernst.

Ernst was invited to attend the Private Sector Dialogue Preparatory Meeting in Auckland from 6-8 August.

The meeting was organised by the Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) in association with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO).

The closed-door meeting was open to the media to interview the delegates from each of the Forum Island Countries during the networking event held in the afternoon on Day 1.  Pacific Periscope spoke with Ms Ernst about the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCD) on ni-Vanuatu communities and what the private sector could do to assist to bring down the high rate of NCDs.

Carolyn Ernst is a partner in two businesses in Vanuatu: Eden on the River, Eco-Tourism Business and Yo'Ku Farm, a small commercial free-range piggery.She has lived on Efate for more than 30 years.  She and her husband manage the farm and ecotourism project on 18 hectares of land bought at Rentapau in 2005.  Aside from this she takes a hand in accounting for other small businesses and landscaping.

It's a busy life for this member of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce.

Ernst said the causes of NCDs was quite complex with a wide range of reasons for the increased number of NCDs in Vanuatu.

The region is vulnerable to cyclonic weather resulting in disaster with damaged homes, infrastructure and food and water sources.

When Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu in March 2015 and crops were damaged, rice was distributed widely through relief agencies. People did not prefer local foods, instead choosing "white man" foods that they see as better Ernst said. "We are now seeing spikes in the diabetes rates due to too much rice distributed in months following Cyclone Pam.Many NGOs have no understanding of the people's needs," Ernst said.

Cooking for the family is generally done by women who are in some cases also the income earners outside the home.  Culturally men don't work in the house.  Even in urban areas, women still do the cooking, so rice and a can of fish rather than root vegetables is a quicker option for meals she said.  Produce at the local market can also be very expensive she said.

More education on nutrition and first aid was needed as often people with diabetes left cuts and sores untreated leading to a high rate of amputations, Ernst said.

Ernest believes Aid Donors needed to work together more.....
For more information please contact: Ian Furlong, PTI NZ Trade Development Manager on ian.f at pacifictradeinvest.co.nz<mailto:ian.f at pacifictradeinvest.co.nz>


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