The Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) has reaffirmed its strong commitment to improving health services and systems across the country during a courtesy visit by the Director-General (DG) for the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala.
The high-level meeting, held this week at the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, brought together senior government officials and health leaders to discuss key health priorities, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration between the Solomon Islands and WHO.
In his welcome remarks, the Minister of Health and Medical Services, Hon. Dr. Paul Popora, extended the Government’s appreciation for WHO’s continuous technical support, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Popora highlighted the GNUT Government’s vision of universal health coverage and equitable access to essential services, especially in remote and rural communities.
Acting Prime Minister Hon. Frederick Kologeto acknowledged Dr. Piukala’s visit as timely and meaningful, stating that it reinforces the strong working relationship between WHO and Solomon Islands.
He thanked WHO for its long-standing support in areas such as immunization, disease surveillance, and health systems strengthening.
Dr. Piukala, in turn, praised the Government’s health leadership and noted the importance of investing in local health systems to build resilience, ensure service delivery, and address the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), maternal and child health, and health workforce development.
Key areas of discussion included strengthening the health system infrastructure and human resources, supporting national efforts to tackle malaria and other communicable diseases and enhancing emergency preparedness and response capacities.
Other areas included leveraging WHO’s technical expertise in digital health and primary healthcare delivery, exploring joint initiatives aligned with the Pacific Island Countries’ regional health priorities.
Both parties reaffirmed the importance of continued collaboration to ensure that health remains central to the country’s development agenda.
The visit by Dr. Piukala marks his first official trip to Solomon Islands since assuming the role of WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific earlier this year.
– OPMC
