SPC

SPC, USAID support reformation of Vanuatu’s public service

SPC’s Regional Director for Melanesia, Mia Rimon, said the project will be a game changer by providing the specific highly skilled training and resources needed to revise, hone, and roll out robust systems of accountability and transparency in the Public Service of Vanuatu.

All public servants will have new fit-for-purpose job descriptions that will be the basis for recruitment, succession planning, performance management and work planning.”

Martin Mahe, Chair of PSC Vanuatu said there is an urgent need to professionalise the commission.

SPC urges vigilance on coconut pest as Vanuatu recovers from destructive cyclones

The alert comes as Vanuatu continues to rebuild after the deadly cyclones.

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.

Vanuatu, SPC sign first Country Programme

As an outcome of an extensive consultation process started in 2016, the document will inform and target SPC's portfolio of activities over the next three years.

The purpose of the programming exercise is to ensure development activities are driven by the country's demand, as expressed in its own development and reporting frameworks.

Vanuatu's cornerstone roadmap is Vanuatu 2030, The People's Plan, also known as the National Sustainable Development Plan for 2016-2030 (NSDP).

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.

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.

‘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.