The Pacific has been taking an active stance on the emerging issues of vulnerability and adaptation to climate change.
The Ministry of Health launched its first ever national climate change and health pilot project along with World Health Organisation (WHO) and UN Development Program (UNDP) at Novotel Convention Centre today.
The project is on public health adaptation to climate change and is a result of preparatory work done in 2006.
Permanent Secretary for Health Dr Salanieta Saketa said the project phase was for three years with a funding of $US590,000.
Adaptation efforts in the Pacific have been taken by sectors other than health and until now the health sector has focused on research and planning.
“We have all the stakeholders here, who will be contributing in this workshop and to come up with a work plan for this project. We need to address priority areas and identify adaptive strategies. This is a milestone for Fiji and we are looking at long-term account of climate change,” Dr Saketa said.
“A steering committee will be implementing the project such as Ministry of Health, UNDP, Department of Environment, Fiji Meteorological Services, Red Cross, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and College of Medicine and Nursing.”
The aimed is to increase adaptive capacity of national health system including field practitioners to respond to climate relating to sensitive health risks.
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