BY NED GAGAHE

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has made a powerful call for renewed global commitment to tackle Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and mental health challenges in the region.

Delivering the Forum’s statement at the Fourth High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being, held during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York last Thursday, Peter Shanel Agovaka, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Solomon Islands, addressed world leaders on behalf of the Forum member states.

Minister Agovaka told the Assembly that NCDs are the leading cause of death across the Pacific, accounting for 75 percent of all deaths in the region.

He also highlighted the growing crisis of mental health, particularly among young people.

“These are the new realities our member states and people are dealing with on a daily basis,” Agovaka said.

He said NCDs are putting immense pressure on health systems, and that mental health challenges are being amplified by substance abuse, climate change, and urbanisation.

The Minister outlined progress made by Pacific countries under the Pacific NCD Roadmap of which are;

• Taxes on sugary drinks, tobacco, and alcohol
• Strengthened primary health care
• Regional tracking tools and data systems
• Training for frontline health workers

Despite these gains, Agovaka warns that corporate interests continue to promote products that worsen health outcomes, and that low awareness, late screening, and poor access to care are leaving too many to suffer in silence.

He also announced that the Forum is updating its Healthy Islands Vision, first developed in 1995, and is embedding it across the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent to ensure health becomes a cross-cutting development issue.

“To truly move forward, we must invest in care and rebuild the health systems matched with resources,” he said.

Minister Agovaka used the high-level meeting to issue a clear set of calls to the international community and they are as follows;

• A new country-led financing partnership and regional procurement options
• A platform for SIDS and WHO to share policy and financing solutions
• Assistance to design and implement health taxes on harmful products
• Financing to climate-proof health infrastructure
• Elevation of NCDs and mental health within the Western Pacific Regional Office
• Development of a Health Financing Scorecard to track progress

He voiced that together, they can build a healthier Pacific.

Minister Agovaka concluded with a message of regional solidarity and hope, calling for systems that will serve future generations.

“Together, we can build a healthier, more resilient Pacific region by building systems that serve our people – now and into the future,” he said.

The address was met with strong support from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and development partners present at the UN General Assembly.

Photo: Supplied

For feedback, contact:[email protected]