Developing Community Settings - An “Island Approach
- Author:
Peni Veilave
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Settings, Islands Development
- From:Fiji Journal of Public Health
2013;2(1):53-60
- CountryFiji
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
In the Pacifi Health Ministers meeting in Yanuca Island Fiji in 1995, the Health Ministers agreed on formulating a framework to adapt the 1987 healthy city initiatives for the pacifi island countries, and the adaptation process resulted in the formulation and endorsement of the healthy islands initiatives under the ‘Yanuca Island Declaration’.Th strategy for implementing the healthy islands initiative was discussed in the ministers bi-yearly meeting two years later in Rarotonga Cook Islands, which saw the introduction of the settings approach. Foiled in that meeting as well is the healthy islands working defiitions, the visions and the core elements of healthy islands.
In the urge to see that Fiji realigns herself to the global and regional changes, much has come through in Fiji’s effrt to implement the healthy islands initiative through the settings approach as a national program, and that has resulted in the establishments of settings in workplaces, schools, villages and settlements around Fiji.
While the strategy might be workable in some context, the Lomaiviti Provincial Council saw the need of amending that to an “ISLAND APPROACH”, one which is much suited to their locality, considering the distributions of the islands within the Lomaiviti group. Moturiki island was chosen as a pilot and a model for the approach, and this report discusses the processes taken and captures a few highlights in the course of implementation.
The approach is workable, and has seen a general increase and entire uplift of the island people’s expectations on
what the initiatives has to offr. The development of social projects like community halls, water projects, flsh
toilets and etc had a signifiant impact on the community, and has to an extent act as a catalyst in bringing
people together for this course.
While this report focuses specifially in addressing the immediate impacts on the entire island, a thorough and
precise assessment should be done fie to seven years down the line to evaluate the island approach’s fial outcome
on the reduction in communicable diseases, reduction in drowning incidents, effctiveness of the Oral
Health 5:20 campaign and whether physical activity and local food consumption has increased that should
subsequently result in a much controlled NCD rate in Moturiki Island.
The report highlights a few areas of improvements if the approach is to be perfected, and it humbly draws the
readers attention to the few recommendations listed down at the end of this report.
