World Bank President Urges Unified Health Strategy for Pacific Islands

World Bank President Ajay Banga emphasized the importance of region-wide health services to combat non-communicable diseases in the Pacific Islands. During his visit to Fiji, Banga highlighted the necessity of building infrastructure that supports larger communities. Pacific leaders prioritized health at the recent Pacific Islands Forum, focusing on increased donor contributions.

World Bank President Ajay Banga has called for region-wide health services to address the dire rise in non-communicable diseases across the Pacific Islands. Speaking in Fiji, where diabetes has become the leading cause of death, Banga stressed the urgency of developing mutual infrastructure to serve small populations more effectively.

'The Pacific Islands as a community has to do this together,' Banga said after touring a health clinic in Suva. He indicated that larger projects could accelerate improvements in healthcare delivery and emphasized that enhancing primary health care is a priority for the World Bank, which aims to reach 1.5 billion people by 2030.

Banga also urged Pacific Island leaders to advocate for increased donor contributions ahead of the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) funding meeting in December. Addressing sustainability concerns, Tonga's Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni echoed the call for more resilient education and health sectors, supported by technology and climate-proof infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)