Health and Economic Benefits of Achieving Contraceptive and Maternal Health Targets in Small Island Developing States in the Pacific and Caribbean

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherrie L. Kelly ◽  
Tom Walsh ◽  
Dominic Delport ◽  
Debra ten Brink ◽  
Rowan Martin-Hughes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Health ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Small Island Developing States ◽  
Health Targets ◽  
The Pacific

Healthy Islands

2018 ◽  
pp. 285-290
Author(s):  
Evelyne de Leeuw ◽  
Erik Martin ◽  
Temo Waqanivalu
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Small States ◽  
Small Island Developing States ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Settings Approach ◽  
Health And Development

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) form a special setting where nature and (population) health become intimately connected. This chapter outlines the nature of such small states, their development and health challenges, and a common health solution that has been advanced in the Pacific. The Yanuca Declaration established a Healthy Island programme in 1995. It is a specific example of a ‘healthy settings’ approach (Nutbeam, 1996). Healthy Islands form an integrated element of the Pacific development agenda and explicitly pursue a comprehensive agenda at the interface of nature, health, and development. Examples of this agenda are provided in two case studies. First, the WHO-led ‘Healthy Island Recognition’ programme, and second, the commitments among Pacific islands to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Adaptation to Climate Change in Small Island Developing States: A Systematic Literature Review of Academic Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Klöck ◽  
Patrick D. Nunn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Small Island Developing States ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Island States ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽  
The Pacific

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share a common vulnerability to climate change. Adaptation to climate change and variability is urgently needed yet, while some is already occurring in SIDS, research on the nature and efficacy of adaptation across SIDS is fragmentary. In this article, we systematically review academic literature to identify where adaptation in SIDS is documented; what type of adaptation strategies are taken, and in response to which climate change impacts; and the extent to which this adaptation has been judged as successful. Our analysis indicates that much adaptation research is concentrated on the Pacific, on independent island states, and on core areas within SIDS. Research documents a wide array of adaptation strategies across SIDS, notably structural or physical and behavioral changes. Yet, evaluation of concrete adaptation interventions is lacking; it thus remains unclear to what extent documented adaptation effectively and sustainably reduces SIDS’ vulnerability and increases their resilience.

scholarly journals Economics of Disaster Risk and Resilience in Small Island Developing States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tauisi Taupo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Disaster Risk Management ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Small Island Developing States ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Response And Recovery

<p>The four essays investigate the impacts and implications of climate change and disasters in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific by examining disaster risk, resilience, response, and recovery in Tuvalu.  The first chapter starts with a survey on the conceptual framework of disaster risk which relies on its associated components of hazard, vulnerability and exposure. It is an introductory literature review that sets the scene for the other chapters. It is not intended to make an original contribution nor a critical review of the literature justified to be publishable. How we measure these risks depends on how we define disaster risk and its components. Though there are diverse views on these definitions in different disciplines, we can capitalise on their commonalities to frame disaster risk models.  The second chapter investigates the vulnerability of households to climatic disasters in Tuvalu. Small Island Developing States, particularly the atoll islands, are considered to be the most vulnerable to climatic change, and in particular to sea-level rise and its associated risks. From the Tuvalu Statistics Department household survey, we construct poverty and hardship profiles for households on the different islands of Tuvalu, and combine these with geographic and topographic information to assess the exposure differentials among different groups using spatial econometric models. Besides the observation that households in hardship are more vulnerable to negative shocks because they lack the resources to respond, we also find that they are also more likely to reside in highly exposed areas to disasters (closer to the coasts and at lower elevation) and have less ability to migrate (between and within the islands).  The third chapter examines cyclones. The intensity of cyclones in the Pacific is predicted to increase and sea levels are predicted to rise, so an atoll nation like Tuvalu can serve as the `canary in the coal mine' pointing to the new risks that are emerging because of climatic change. Based on a household survey we conducted in Tuvalu, we quantify the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Pam (March 2015) on households, and the determinants of these impacts in terms of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and responsiveness. Households experienced significant damage due to the storm surge caused by the cyclone, even though the cyclone itself passed very far away (about a 1,000 km). This risk of distant cyclones has been overlooked in the literature, and ignoring it leads to significant under-estimation of the disaster risk facing low-lying atoll islands. Lastly, we constructed hypothetical policy scenarios, and calculated the estimated loss and damage they would have been associated with { a first step in building careful assessments of the feasibility of various disaster risk reduction policies.  The fourth chapter examines the financing of disaster risk management. Future climate and disaster risks are likely to impose increasing financial pressure on the governments of low-lying atoll nations. The aftermath of a disaster such as a cyclone requires financial means for quick response and recovery. Hence, we quantify appropriate levels of financial support for expected disasters in Tuvalu and Kiribati by building on the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (PCRAFI) calculated likely costs for disasters. To these, we add estimates of the potential effects of distant cyclones, droughts, sea level rise and climate change as they are predicted to affect low-lying atoll islands. There are several potential financial instruments available for disaster risk management in the Pacific Islands. We focus on the potential contribution of the sovereign wealth funds (SWF) of Tuvalu and Kiribati in reducing reliance on foreign aid for both ex-ante and ex-post disaster risk management. We forecast the future size of the SWF using Monte Carlo simulations and an Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average model. We examine the long-term sustainability of the SWF, and the feasibility of extending their mandate to cover and pay for at least some climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.</p>

scholarly journals Coronavirus: COVID-19 Transmission in Pacific Small Island Developing States

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
Johannes M. Lütz ◽  
David N. Sattler ◽  
Patrick D. Nunn
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Systems ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Small Island Developing States ◽  
Spread Rate ◽  
First Case ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Economic And Social Impacts

Background: Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have health care systems with a limited capacity to deal with pandemics, making them especially vulnerable to the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This paper examines the introduction, transmission, and incidence of COVID-19 into Pacific SIDS. Methods: Calculate the rate of transmission (the average number of new cases per day between the first recorded case and the most recent day) and connectivity (daily direct flights to the leading airport in each selected island group) using flight history and COVID-19 transmission data. Results: Correlational analyses show that connectivity is positively related with (a) first-case dates and (b) spread rate in Pacific SIDS. Conclusion: Connectivity plays a central role in the spread of COVID-19 in Pacific SIDS. The continued entry of people was a significant factor for spread within countries. Efforts to prevent transmission by closing borders reduced transmission but also created significant economic hardship because many Pacific SIDS rely heavily on tourism and international exchange. The findings highlight the importance of exploring the possibility that the COVID-19 spread rate may be higher than official figures indicate, and present pathways to mitigate socio-economic impacts. The practical implications of the findings reveal the vulnerability of Pacific SIDS to pandemics and the key role of connectivity in the spread of COVID-19 in the Pacific region.

scholarly journals Potential of Black Soldier Fly Production for Pacific Small Island Developing States

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1038
Author(s):  
Matan Shelomi
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Small Island Developing States ◽  
Black Soldier Fly ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Crop Waste ◽  
Insect Biomass

Organic waste such as food waste and livestock manure is a serious concern in the Pacific Islands, where landfills are overflowing and illegal dumping of waste threatens the fragile ecosystems. Organic waste also attracts filth flies, some of which are vectors for pathogens that cause human disease. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, has tremendous potential for the Pacific Islands. Capable of digesting almost any organic matter and converting it into insect biomass, black soldier flies are already being used around the world to process organic waste into larvae. The system can be adapted to large-scale municipal composting as well as small sizes for individual livestock farms or even urban households. The larvae can be fed live to fish or poultry, processed into feed comparable to fishmeal or soy meal, or even used to generate biofuel. Thus, the fly not only eliminates waste, but also can improve the sustainability of livestock production. The Pacific Small Island Developing States stand to benefit immensely from black soldier fly bioconversion facilities, used primarily as a means to compost organic waste; however, several knowledge gaps must first be addressed. We reviewed the state of black soldier flies in the Pacific and identified where their use shows the most promise. Research priorities for the field include fly surveys and bioconversion assays using Pacific crop waste.

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