Solomon Islands

The need to accelerate climate change adaptation and improve multi-hazard early warning systems to increase resilience to extreme weather took centre-stage at WMO’s Regional Association for Asia and the Pacific (RAV), hosted by Tonga from 15-17 October.

Pacific countries presented the status of progress in the development of their early warning systems as part of a three-year project entitled “Strengthening Hydro-meteorological and Early Warning Services in the Pacific”.

Representatives from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu provided updates at a session in Tonga on progress and priorities.

Warmer temperatures and increased rainfall can pose threats to our livelihoods and health by impacting the quality of water we drink, the food we consume, and the weather we experience.

But there are also vector-borne diseases (carried by mosquitoes and other insects), and water-borne bacteria and viruses, that become prevalent during periods of high and low rainfall, which pose great health risks to local populations. For example, increased risks of contracting dengue fever, chikungunya, malaria, and other diseases.

The following syndromes have been flagged this week:

• Acute Fever and Rash: Samoa

• Influenza-like illness: Northern Marianna Islands

Other Update:

Invasive Meningococcal Disease

AG/12071

Assemblée générale Plénière
Soixante-treizième session, 12e & 13e séances plénières, matin & après-midi

GA/12071

General Assembly Plenary
Seventy-third Session, 12th & 13th Meetings (AM & PM)

As the General Assembly entered the fourth day of its general debate today, world leaders once again called to the fore the threats posed by climate change and unilateralism and their impact on international peace and security, while also highlighting several successful transitions from conflict to peace as proof that diplomacy and multilateralism are effective and offer a hopeful sign for the future.

SG/SM/19262-ENV/DEV/1890

Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks at the meeting with Pacific Islands Forum leaders, in New York today:

The Solomon Islands' southern provinces are being drenched by heavy rain this morning as Cyclone Liua continues to linger nearby.

Read more on Radio New Zealand International.

The following syndromes have been flagged this week:

• Acute Fever and Rash: Samoa

• Influenza-like illness: Palau

• Dengue-like illness: Samoa

Other Updates:

Dengue

Cyclone Liua is the first cyclone to form in the south-west Pacific in the month of September for nearly 70 years.

Read more on Radio New Zealand International.

The following syndromes have been flagged this week:

• Acute Fever and Rash: American Samoa

• Prolonged Fever: Tonga

Other Updates:

Polio

The following syndromes have been flagged this week:

• Acute Fever and Rash: Palau, FSM, Kiribati, Vanuatu, American Samoa

• Diarrhoea: Tokelau

Other Updates:

Polio

Additional information of relevance (e.g. imported cases with travel history to Pacific Island countries and territories):  

- One (1) imported case of **dengue 2** with travel history to **Solomon Islands Islands** was reported by New Zealand ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd) for the period 01/09/18 to 07/09/2018. 

Other updates **since the last map was sent on PacNet on 3 September 2018** 

Polio 

The Country Preparedness Package (CPP) is a joint initiative by the Governments and the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT). The CPP is intended to strengthen preparedness and collaboration between national and international actors in a disaster response. The CPP is developed and agreed with the national governments before a disaster. Throughout the process, national actors become more aware of the international tools and services and how they can be activated. This will enable a more ‘demand-driven’ response, tailored to the specific context.

The following syndromes have been flagged this week:

• Acute Fever and Rash: CNMI, Fiji,Tonga

Other Updates:

Leptospirosis

• Wallis and Futuna confirms 13 cases in since January 2018. For further details please refer to Patrick Lambruschini's PacNet post on 5 September 2018.

Dengue

The following syndromes have been flagged this week: 

• Acute Fever and Rash:  French Polynesia
  
• Prolonged Fever: Fiji 

Other Updates:

Dengue

• Ongoing dengue serotype-2 outbreak in **American Samoa**. As of 25 August, 2018 there have been 1,085 confirmed cases since 1 November 2016;. The outbreak appears to be slowing down. For further details please refer to Aifili Tufa's PacNet post on 28 August 2018.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has issued a Tsunami Threat for the following coasts, stating:

• TSUNAMI WAVES REACHING 0.3 TO 1 METERS ABOVE THE TIDE LEVEL ARE POSSIBLE FOR SOME COASTS OF FIJI... NEW CALEDONIA... AND VANUATU.

SUVA, 28 August 2018 – Today, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and The Pacific Community (SPC) announced a new partnership to support the strengthening of data collection and data analysis to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children, women and people with disabilities across the Pacific islands and territories.

The collection and dissemination of reliable data of children and women worldwide is vital to identify and plan for their needs and to inform policies.