Fiji

Overview

• The Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) declared a national outbreak of meningococcal C on Tuesday Marcy 20th, 2018.

• The Ministry, through the National Meningococcal Disease Taskforce, continues to coordinate the response to the outbreak, including strengthening surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, clinical management, public health interventions and risk communications.

An international initiative to improve early warning systems against extreme weather and support climate change adaptation is gaining momentum to protect more people in more places. Financing has been extended to cover the Caribbean and West African regions.

The following syndrome has been flagged:

· Acute Fever and Rash: Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu

Other Updates:

Dengue:

· Fiji had declared the dengue outbreak over. The Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services reported in a decrease in the number of dengue fever cases reported nationally in the last six weeks. The number of cases at present is at the levels usually seen during this time of the year. Source: Media

The number of dengue cases in Fiji has fallen in the past six weeks, the Health Ministry says.

Read more on Radio New Zealand International.

By Deodat Maharaj, UNDP Senior Advisor for the Caribbean

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 8 2018 (IPS) - As a new hurricane season approaches in the Caribbean, I attended last week’s dialogue focused on “Financing Resilience in SIDS” held in Antigua and Barbuda and sponsored by the host government and Belgium.

The gathering sought to identify the main risks facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS), especially in terms of financing and innovative solutions to the countries’ challenges.

On Friday morning, Colin Tukuitonga, Director-general of the Pacific Community (SPC), handed 705,840 Pacific Francs, collected from all SPC staff in New Caledonia and Fiji, over to the French Red Cross.

The funds will contribute to the reconstruction efforts of countries recently hit by natural disasters in the region (Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga). The funds were handed over to Michel Rigot, President of the French Red Cross in New Caledonia. They will be equally shared between the Red Cross societies of impacted countries.

Pacific marine climate change - partnership with regional and UK experts reveals full regional impacts

The following syndrome has been flagged:

• Acute Fever and Rash: Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu

Other Updates:

Dengue:

• Kiribati : As of 4 June there have been 665 dengue-like illness cases since 21 March 2018. There have been 18 hospitalised cases, and one death in a 9 year old who presented with symptoms of severe dengue. Source: Kiribati MHMS

The World Mosquito Programme says new funding from New Zealand will help protect two of Fiji's major population centres from dengue, chikungunya and zika.

Read more on Radio New Zealand International.

Overview

• The Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) declared an outbreak of meningococcal C on Tuesday March 20th, 2018.

• The Ministry, through the National Meningococcal Disease Taskforce, continues to coordinate the response to the outbreak, including strengthening surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, clinical management, public health interventions and risk communications.

• The Fijian government has committed to vaccinating everyone from ages 1-19, a population of 333,876 (over a third of the Fijian population).

Executive Summary

The following syndrome has been flagged:

• Acute Fever and Rash: Northern Marianna Islands, Tonga, Kiribati

• Dengue-like illness: Kiribati

Other Updates:

Dengue:

• Kiribati : As of 25 May there have been 472 dengue-like illness cases since 21 March 2018. There have been 18 hospitalised cases, and one death in a 9 year old. Samples have been sent to reference laboratory for confirmation. Source: Kiribati MHMS

New Zealand will contribute $2.7 million to help limit dengue fever in Fiji, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.

“Dengue fever is a debilitating and sometimes fatal mosquito-borne disease which has affected more than 38,000 people in the Pacific since the beginning of 2017,” Mr Peters says.

“The funding will go to the World Mosquito Programme, which uses natural, effective and self-sustaining methods that limit the ability of mosquitoes to spread the illness. These methods are currently in use across four continents.

The Regional Food Security Atlas of the Pacific is a joint publication by the Pacific Community (SPC) and the World Food Programme(WFP).

The 2018 Atlas provides a spatial overview of the core issues that affect food security across the Pacific Island Countries (PICs). Divided into nine topical sections, the Atlas provides the reader with information and knowledge on the causes and outcomes of food security and nutrition in the region.

An expert in disaster risk reduction says work to safeguard schools in Fiji is making progress.

Read more on Radio New Zealand International

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Summit 2018

NADI, 25 May 2018 – Today, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Summit will conclude, where eighteen Government agencies and non-government partner organizations undertook exhaustive consultations to determine key activities and strategies in order to strengthen Government systems to provide access to water and sanitation for all Fijians.

SRI LANKA

Early monsoon rains and landslides have affected over 43,600 families and killed 23 people. The worst affected provinces are Southern, Western, North-Western and Sabaragamuwa.
Rains are expected to temporarily reduce and ease flood levels. 43,600 families affected

INDONESIA