NCD Regional Health Emergency

“These islands have some of the highest rates of non-communicable disease in the world. Diabetes, heart diseases, strokes, cancer and other NCDs are killing off Pacific peoples, placing a significant burden on their daily functionality, and threatening the national security of these island countries and territories,” explained Dr. Stevenson Kuartei, PIHOA President and Minister of Health of the Republic of Palau. The declaration directs the PIHOA Secretariat to partner with a wide variety of groups to develop a regional NCD policy that will help coordinate partners and resources more effectively and make an array of recommendations to donors, health agencies, legislatures, regional associations, traditional leaders, community- and faith-based groups, and other sectors besides health, including agriculture, education, and trade.

“This isn’t just a problem for the health sector,” continued Dr. Kuartei, “We need to convert to healthier diets, eliminate tobacco use, limit alcohol consumption and significantly increase physical activity, and to do this, we need parents, farmers, fishermen, media, legislators, presidents, governors, traditional leaders, pastors, business people, educators, health providers and planners to be mobilized. What is needed is a whole of society approach. While there are promising efforts and programs, the current approach just isn’t working overall.”

“Things are not going to get better unless the society is mobilized because right now, we’re headed for social and economic catastrophe.”