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SUVA, Fiji<\/strong>\u2014The new World Health Organization regional director for the Western Pacific, Dr. Takeshi Kasai, met this week with leaders, partners, and communities in the Pacific to discuss critical health challenges and solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery Pacific island is different and each has specific health challenges that require tailored approaches,\u201d said Kasai. \u201cAt the same time, what I\u2019ve seen and heard throughout the past year\u2014including during visits to hospitals, clinics, schools and communities in Fiji and Kiribati this week\u2014is that to better support the people of the Pacific, we must do more to address the impact on health of climate change, tackle the high burden of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, and improve preparedness for disasters and outbreaks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMember states across the Pacific want WHO to focus more on these critical areas with new and innovative ways to address the needs of their people,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m committed to working with governments and partners to do exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Corinne Capuano, director of Pacific Technical Support and WHO representative to the South Pacific, stressed the significance of Kasai\u2019s extended visit: \u201cHaving Dr. Kasai here in Fiji and Kiribati so soon after taking up leadership of WHO in the region highlights just how important the Pacific is and how pressing challenges like climate change are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnder his leadership, our dedicated teams in Suva, Honiara, Port Vila, Apia, Tarawa, Pohnpei and Nuku\u2019alofa will continue working closely with governments and partners to address each islands\u2019 unique challenges,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Climate change and health<\/strong> \u201cNow more than ever we need to help decision-makers understand the need for immediate action to create strong, climate-resilient health systems,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Extreme weather events and environmental changes affect air quality, safe drinking-water, food security and housing. They increase rates of heat stress, malnutrition, diarrhea and vector-borne diseases, and strain health systems.<\/p>\n
\nThroughout the weeklong visit, Kasai witnessed the ravages of climate change, including entire villages destroyed by rising seas in Kiribati. \u201cWhile climate change creates health risks for everyone on the planet, for many in the Pacific it threatens their very existence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n