Fiji re-activates blood drive
Fiji has re-activated its community blood drive, after fears people who had Covid-19 were originally giving blood.
Critically low blood stocks will be getting topped up this week, as blood banks have been set up again around the island's main hospitals.
Health Secretary Dr James Fong said the government have been addressing the blood shortage issue.
Dr James Fong. Photo: Facebook/Fiji govt
"So now we can get more donors to come in. We have always had problems sourcing blood. It will be a bit more challenging getting people to come forward. We wil be able to mitigate it as we move forward."
Fong said blood stations are safe and people should social distance, wear a mask and follow Covid-19 safety protocols.
ADB funds Nauru to improve water supply, sanitation, and waste management
The Asian Development Bank has given Nauru a $US5 million grant to improve water supply, sanitation, and waste management.
The grant will partly fund the assessment, planning, and capacity building needed to implement the proposed Nauru Sustainable Urban Development Project.
The planned US$20 million project will increase access to and improve the quality and safety of essential urban services for about 2,150 households on the island.
At present, Nauru does not have piped water, with some people relying on rainwater tanks, others relying on desalination devices or bottled water.
Fluctuating rainfall and the likelihood of increasing droughts further threaten the water security of Nauru's growing population.
Households similarly rely on on-site sanitation systems, which may be damaged, leaking, or improperly maintained, leading to groundwater contamination.
The collection and processing of household waste is also inadequate with many households disposing of waste through burning or dumping.
Call for PNG family planning to be strengthened
A former Papua New Guinea health minister, Sir Puka Temu, says family planning programmes must be strengthened to reduce the country's high maternal mortality rates.
He was commenting as a parliamentary committee on gender-based violence tabled its report last week.
Sir Puka, who is also a medical doctor, said family planning services should be accessible to everyone.
The newspaper, The National reports him saying one critical element driving the disempowerment, poverty, family instability and violence cycle is the inability of women to plan the timing of and number of children they have.
He said PNG's high maternal mortality rate is the result of the poor empowerment of women.
Sir Puka said the government must fully fund the family planning programmes.
Samoas work on a travel bubble
Details of a safe "travel-bubble" between the two Samoas are being worked through by both governments.
Arrival requirements for American Samoa include travellers being fully vaccinated and testing negative prior to departure, as well as a 24-hour quarantine period upon arrival in the territory.
Samoa has specific requirements for travelers arriving from American Samoa, along with a special conditions for travelers transiting through Pago Pago to Samoa.
Negotiations towards a weekly flight between the two Samoas are ongoing and no start date has been set.
American Samoa seeking workers from Samoa
American Samoa's government has approved for entry 200 workers from neighboring Samoa recruited by the StarKist Samoa cannery.
American Samoa's Lieutenant governor Talauega Eleasalo Ale. Photo: Fili Sagapolutele
The shortage of workers at the cannery since the start of the year, prompted StarKist Samoa to seek government permission to hire from Samoa, under the Guest Workers Permit law.
StarKist Samoa officials were in Apia more than a week ago to conduct recruitment and reports from Samoa indicates that were some 600 applicants.
Cooks launches infrastructure investment plan
The Cook Islands has launched an updated National Infrastructure Investment Plan..
Prime Minister Mark Brown announced the plan which outlines the country's priorities for major infrastructure projects over the next 10 years.
The plan identifies 136 infrastructure projects with a combined total budget in excess of around $US482 million.
The Rarotonga Sanitation Project, aimed at addressing ongoing issues in the lagoon at Muri, and the Vaikapuangi Centralised Government Building Project, are some of the major projects identified in the new plan.
Brown said these were both large projects, with large price tags, spanning many years and are both strategic investments that will give back to the community over many generations.
Voter in Niue stymied in attempt to run for village council
A voter in Niue has been stopped from running for her village council because she is temporarily out of the country.
Carol Edwards is the principal of Niue Primary School and Niue Broadcasting understands she is overseas for medical reasons but her return is imminent.
She wants to stand for the Alofi South village council, but the chief electoral officer, Darren Tohovaka, has declined to accept her nomination form.
Mrs Edwards told the local broadcaster that Mr Tohovaka had told her the application was declined because she is physically not in Niue.
Mr Tohovaka says the matter is now before the Niue High Court so it's not appropriate for him to comment.