Vanuatu

The meeting highlighted Vanuatu’s achievement and support from WHO and push back of Public Health programmes due to Covid-19 and twin cyclones Kevin and Judy in March 2023.

Acting Director General of the Ministry of Health, Judith Melsul highlighted that the ministry played a significant role in advocating for the more than 50 percent increase in excise tax on tobacco products, and for the total prohibition of heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine, and non-nicotine products in Vanuatu.

Vanuatu was selected as one of the five winners from the Western Pacific Region.

This is the second time that the Ministry of Health has received the award.

The ministry played a crucial role in advocating the increase of over 50 per cent in excise taxes on tobacco products, along with the prohibition of heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems and acting even before products were widely available in the country.

The ministry recognised the potential threats they posed to young people and tobacco control efforts.

VFF Technical Director and Team Manager Peter Takaro said Kency is unavailable due to work commitments.

“Kency Tangis told me that following his long hours of work, he did not think he would be able to join the team training schedules; Even when I told him that the training started at 6pm, Kency maintained he could not make it”, Takaro said.

National Coach Etienne Mermer said clubs have been informed to release players for national duties.

“I am ready to work with those players who show up on the field for training”, Mermer said.

The sacking on Friday came just a week after a motion of no confidence was filed by the opposition leader Bob Loughman who eventually withdrew it in parliament because of a lack of numbers to support it.

Kilman, who is the president of the People's Progressive Party, has been replaced as deputy prime minister by Jotham Napat of the Vanuatu Leaders' Party who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The agriculture portfolio has yet to be reassigned.

Kilman was an instrumental figure in negotiations to form prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau's coalition government.

The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department (VMGD) said, “Latest data analyses from the monitoring system shows that the volcano seismicity is sustained but there is no manifestation at the surface. The phreatic explosions propelling ash some 100m into the atmosphere only lasted a few hours on the 1st of February 2023.”

The latest observations confirmed no steam above the water surface.

“With the ongoing volcano activity and its associated hazards, the danger zone remains at 2Km radius from the active submarine vent.

The training was done by the Ministry of Health with the assistance of World Health Organisation to local health staff.

A statement said, “This programme will be implemented in all six provinces to assist and counsel smokers to quit and improve on their health status.”

From June 1, the minimum wage in Vanuatu will be increased by 36 percent from $US1.82 (VT220) an hour to $US2.48 (VT300).

"Employers must not pay their workers less than this rate for hours worked," the Vanuatu Daily Post reported.

"The minimum wage was increased from VT200 per hour to VT220 per hour in 2019. Under law, minimum wage rate should be reviewed once every two years based on economic factors. The last one was four years ago."

To support the affected children and communities dealing with the widespread devastation, Vanuatu Football Federation have initiated the delivery of the Just Play Emergency Response Programme.

The Sport for Development programme uses the power of football to issue psychosocial support to children after an emergency. Children learn through play and gain meaningful knowledge such as how to keep themselves and their families safe following a natural disaster.

Seventeen sports teams will travel to Honiara to compete and each participant is required to pay 50,400 vatu by this month to the Solomon Islands organising committee as their participation fees.

Team Vanuatu Chef De Mission, William Worworkon, said they are also looking at sending athletes overseas to train and prepare for the Games which are being held in November.

MOH said the number of new cases increased nationally by 10 percent from the previous week.

According to the ministry, testing has been conducted at Vila Central Hospital Lab and confirmed Influenza A H1N1, Influenza B, Adenovirus, Rhinovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Covid-19.

The increase of cases has crossed the National Influenza-Like Illness threshold and the ministry has declared an outbreak of Influenza-Like Illness.