SPC and Fiji National University has jointly developed a project called “Healthy Child Promising Future – Promoting health in primary school settings” targeting primary school children aged 7 to 9 living in Fiji and Wallis and Futuna. Children learned about eating healthy through the use of educational and promotional resources developed for the project and adapted to the Pacific context. They also participated in 30 minutes of structured physical activity sessions each day. (Read more)
In April 2019, SPC sponsored six (6) NCD coordinators/designates to attend the 23rd IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion in Rotorua, New Zealand. The participants were from Fiji, Niue, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu. This support is in alignment with SPC-NCD’s key result area of building capacity and knowledge in the pacific. The conference exposed our delegates to the contribution of health promotion to the health of humanity and the planet; to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how it contributes to improvements in health and wellbeing. (Read more)
Building capacity and knowledge of member countries to effectively implement NCD actions at community level is important. In June 2017, SPC supported the Niue Department of Health’s Community Intervention Programme by providing basic NCD risk factor training to 25 health workers. Participants were mostly Village Health Workers, NGO health representatives (Tama Mana, Youth & Women’s Group) and Public Health staff. The main objective of the training was to increase knowledge and skills of health workers on NCD risk factors and of best buys interventions. All participants reported they ‘strongly agreed’ that the training improve their knowledge and skills and recommended further refresher training.
Strengthening the capacity of the countries to implement NCD actions more effectively contributes quite significantly to the improved outcomes to prevent and control NCDs. SPC supported Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services to conduct a training of trainers on reduction of NCD risk factors, with emphasis on nutrition on 7th – 8th November, 2016. Participants were staff from various divisions of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, representatives from Youth NCD warriors and Faith based orgnaisations. The objectives were to increase and improve their knowledge of nutrition and its role in NCD prevention and control and to provide tools to assist with on going trainings as trainers. Almost all reported that they ‘strongly agree’, the training enhanced knowledge and skills.
Diabetes foot care is an essential component of diabetes care, yet there is limited capacity in most Pacific countries to carry it out. Diabetes Fiji and Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services have been conducting a Diabetes Footcare Training initially for nurses in Fiji but now extended to take in nurses from the Pacific for the 2 weeks training program. It started in 2017 and SPC has supported 8 countries from the region to undertake this training. Objectives are to improve and update their knowledge and skills on diabetes wound care to prevent and reduce prevalence of diabetes related amputations in the region. Participants have found this training very useful as it ‘builds learning capacity on diabetic foot care and exposure to this specialized area in their nursing career’.