The European Union (EU) has contributed EUR€20 million as part of an agreement signed yesterday, to help health sectors across Pacific Island Countries (including Tonga) respond to CoViD-19.

The EU, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Pacific Community (SPC) signed the agreement in Suva, Fiji.

Support will be provided to Cook Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, the Republic of Marshall Island, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The EU Ambassador to Fiji and the Pacific, Sujiro Seam, said the EUR€20 M will strengthen the medical systems of Pacific Island Countries, to allow them to deal not only with CoViD-19, but all health challenges.

WHO’s Director of Pacific Technical Support Dr Corinne Capuano, said the EU’s support will also help strengthen testing capacity, WASH, infection prevention and control, and preparedness for the roll-out of CoViD-19 vaccines.

“It comes at a time when PICs are preparing for the arrival of the first allocations of CoViD-19 vaccines which are expected in the coming months,” she added.

The agreement has five main outcomes including:

• increased readiness of countries for effective CoViD-19 response operations with a special attention to those living in vulnerable situations;
• strengthened ability to test, detect and monitor for CoViD-19 presence in partner countries;
• reduced risk of spread and excess morbidity and mortality from CoViD-19 and other health issues;
• improved collaboration between environment, animal and public health sectors; and
• an efficient logistics and delivery mechanism for CoViD-19 response.

The EU contribution is from funding repurposed under the EU and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) new finance agreement to support the Pacific’s response to CoViD-19. WHO also contributed over half million USD (equivalent to €448,000).

To date, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu are yet to report a confirmed case of CoViD-19, while Fiji has gone more than 270 days without reporting a case of CoViD-19 in the community.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have occasionally reported cases in travellers arriving from overseas, picked up through border quarantine.