Pacific news in brief for 7 July

Tokelau

Tokelau has a new administrator.

Andre van der Walt, a former New Zealand High Commissioner to Kiribati, has been appointed to the role, succeeding Don Higgins.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said van der Walt will oversee New Zealand's support for Tokelau's development, namely strengthening resilience to climate change.

The administrator is also in charge of service delivery, and supporting the education, health, transport, and renewable energy sectors.

Work is ongoing to make Tokelau's energy profile up to 90 percent renewable by the end of the year.

Vanuatu

A heart-monitoring app has been launched in Vanuatu.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said once trained, community-based providers can use HeartCare to conduct screenings closer to where people live and work.

The WHO said the app provides a clear breakdown of health markers for screening, including body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, and the value lies in the app's automatic identification of patients who are at high or medium risk of heart disease.

The first groups to be trained to use it include community health workers and church leaders.

The WHO said it's estimated that nearly one in three adults in Vanuatu have raised blood pressure; but only 15 percent of people are aware of their condition.

The WHO supported the project alongside the Australian government.

Indonesia/Papua New Guinea

Jayapura Regional General Hospital in Indonesia's Papua Province is set to become a referral hospital for Papua New Guineans.

Indonesia's state Antara news agency reported a cross-border healthcare partnership is being explored between officials from both sides.

This comes after a delegation from PNG's Department of Health and the management of Vanimo Hospital in West Sepik Province visited Jayapura Hospital.

Jayapura, the biggest West Papuan city, is located about an hour's drive from Indonesia's border with PNG, and another 45 minutes from Vanimo.

Pacific

Governments across Asia and the Pacific have agreed on two new plans on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Two agreements were adopted at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

They are the Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific 2026, and the Regional Programme of Action on Advancing Synergies for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2026-2030.

Fiji

Fiji's Minister for Fisheries and Forestry Alitia Bainivalu has signed a South Pacific Group memorandum of understanding on tuna fishing.

The agreement solidifies Fiji's long-term commitment to the sustainable management of South Pacific albacore tuna.

The signing took place alongside leaders from the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, and Samoa, during the high-level Forum Fisheries Ministerial retreat held in Wellington, New Zealand.

Kiribati

A University of Auckland doctoral candidate is preparing for fieldwork in Kiribati, looking at menstruation.

Roi Burnett's research focuses on menstrual experiences and reproductive health, exploring how cultural understandings shape the ways menstruation is discussed, understood and experienced in Kiribati.

She said menstruation is a complex topic in Kiribati - on one hand, it is taboo, but it's also celebrated when a girl first gets her period.

Burnett said discussions about Kiribati too often focus exclusively on vulnerability and climate impacts - and while those issues are real, they are only one part of a much larger story.