Salutations
Ni Sa Bula Vina’a and Good Evening to you all !!
Let me also acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we stand today, ki Navatulevu, vua na Momo na Tui Nadi, and I pay my respect to their Chiefs, past and present, as well as emerging leaders and acknowledge their role in caring for the Vanua.
Introduction
It is my great honour to extend to you all a heartfelt welcome to Fiji, and to this traditional ceremony of welcome for the 76th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific.
We are deeply privileged to host this important meeting — the premier public health leadership forum for our region. Tonight’s Fijian welcome reminds us of the meaning of vanua — the sacred connection between people and the land — and the value we place on partnership and shared humanity.
We are especially proud to do so in honour of Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, the first Regional Director of the Western Pacific from the Pacific Islands, and a son of the Pacific who has often called Fiji his second home. His leadership is not only significant but it is also timely, deeply grounded, and regionally rooted.
Reflections on Health and Progress in the Western Pacific
The last time Fiji hosted this forum was in 1984, at the 35th Regional Committee Meeting in Suva. At that time, the region comprised of 17 Member States. Today, we are 38 strong, collectively serving more than 2.2 billion people which is more than a quarter of the world’s population.
Back then, the region focused on issues like the role of women in health and development, workforce planning, and access to essential healthcare.
Incredibly, these still remain central to our agenda, showing both the foresight of our predecessors and the enduring nature of these priorities.
Today, our region is contending with a new generation of health threats:The persistent burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs);The rising prevalence of HIV;
These demand not only better health services but sensible, equitable, more integrated, and inclusive approaches to development.
NCDs and mental health challenges are lived realities of almost every Fijian family. Non-communicable diseases account for over 80% of deaths, hindering Fiji’s social development.
Mental health issues in Fijian society go unrecognized, leaving adolescents vulnerable to trauma, stress, and substance abuse.
These interconnected challenges threaten the well-being and quality of life of Fijians.
Excellencies, Fiji has legislated health laws restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods, implementing healthy school policies and developing nutrient profile models.
In tackling mental health issues, Fiji is increasing investment in mental health services, decentralizing care, and training health workers to provide psychological first aid.
However, stigma, underfunding, data gaps, health care capability and rehabilitation remain significant barriers to progress.
NCDs and mental health issues are compounded by climate change, food insecurity, and geographic isolation.
There is a need for targeted international financing for SIDS to address the rising cost of NCDs and mental health care.
As a small island developing state, we need support to address this phenomenon and we look forward to collaborate and share best practices.
Aligning with the Ocean of Peace
In Fiji, we are advancing the principles of an “Ocean of Peace”, a national and regional philosophy rooted in peace, unity, compassion, truth, and inclusive development. These are also deeply rooted in in principles of health and wellbeing.
Peaceful societies are healthier societies. Inclusive governance fosters stronger health outcomes. Compassion in leadership will deliver people-centred systems.
The path to a “Healthy Pacific” is not just through hospitals and policies but also through justice, empowerment, equity, and love for our people.
From Yanuca to New Horizons: 30 Years of Healthy Islands
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Yanuca Declaration, where Pacific Health Ministers first envisioned a region of Healthy Islands — where children are nurtured, environments are safe, and people live long, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
Fiji was proud to host the first meeting in 1995, and again in 2015. This week, we welcome Health Ministers once more to Yanuca Island to renew and reinforce this vision. I look forward to the outcomes of this important event.
Fiji welcomes the timely convening of this meeting and the Declaration presented before us. We endorse the Declaration and commit to achieving the global targets on NCD prevention, mental health promotion, and the pursuit of universal health coverage.
We also recognize the central role of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in addressing NCDs and mental health globally.
Health and Sustainable Development: From the Blue Pacific to the Global Stage
At the recent UN General Assembly (UNGA78 and UNGA80), we reaffirmed our global commitment to:
Universal Health Coverage;
Pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR); and
The climate and health nexus, including strengthening climate-resilient health systems.
These align directly with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and I was pleased, as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, to reaffirm our collective commitment to putting health at the centre of sustainable development.
I remain personally committed to the approach of “Health in All Policies”, a whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategy. Our investments in education, water, energy, food systems, transport, digital connectivity, and gender equality are all investments in health.
As noted in recent UN resolutions, these co-benefits are powerful:
Healthy people drive economic growth;
Healthy communities build national resilience; and
Healthy systems protect us from future crises.
Regional Achievements and Moving Forward
I would like to acknowledge one of the region’s greatest public health achievements:
This is a testament to decades of commitment by health workers and communities across our islands.
But we must also confront what still lies ahead — particularly the critical shortage of health workers. Our vision for a healthier, more peaceful Pacific cannot be achieved without a strong, compassionate, and well-supported workforce.
Let us collectively prioritise training, retention, and fair investment in our human resources for health, across all communities in the Pacific.
Closing
This Regional Committee Meeting offers a chance to reflect, reset, and reimagine our shared future.
May your deliberations over the coming days be guided by wisdom, unity, and purpose. And may our decisions this week lay the groundwork for a healthier, more peaceful, and more resilient Western Pacific Region.
I wish you all a successful and fruitful meeting. Once again, welcome to Fiji — your home in the Pacific.
Vina’a va’alevu. Thank you, and may God bless you all.