Pacific

In March this year, Vanuatu tragically experienced its most extreme storm in recorded history.  Category 5 Cyclone Pam swept through the nation’s South, bringing devastation to more than 60 inhabited islands including Tanna, Santo and Port Vila.

Cyclone Winston was the strongest recorded cyclone to have ever hit the Fijian archipelago.  It caused wide scale loss of homes, infrastructure and crops as 12m high waves battered the coastline and winds gusting at 325km/hour swept the land bare.

As 15% of Pacific Islanders (1 million people) live with a disability, it is impossible for universal education and poverty reduction targets to be met without their inclusion.  In most of these countries, few people with disabilities attend school as children and even fewer can find stable employment as adults.  Not only are disabilities highly stigmatised, but affordable service provision is hard to come by.

In Papua New Guinea, poor planning has resulted in rapid and uncontrolled expansion of primary schools which is exceeding the supply of qualified teachers.  Consequently, many remote schools have been operating with lessons taught by untrained teachers and volunteers, some of which have not completed primary school themselves.  Literacy competencies are low, and teaching equipment is minimal.

Many local development organisations in PNG have failed over the years for want of a sound system of leadership and administration.

Service delivery in Papua New Guinea is expensive and logistically difficult because of a combination of topography, governance and economic capacity.  The health sector is of particular concern as HIV prevalence is highest in the region, immunisation rates have stagnated, infant and maternal care services are limited and preventable diseases such as measles, pneumonia and diarrhoea cause extensive morbidity and mortality.

Having suffered recent civil unrest, Timor-Leste remains fragile and in need of long term developmental support.  Public services are weak and economic capacity is low, particularly in isolated regions including the Oecussi enclave, Suai, Los Palos, Viqueque and Atauro Island.  Communicable diseases like malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections are highly prevalent and health risks are exacerbated by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation.

In the Solomon Islands, national literacy rates could possibly be as low as 17% (COESI & ASPBAE survey, 2007). This is in part due to a lack of access to affordable national high schools scattered across the islands.