Pacific Islands World Health Innovation Summit – Online

🌏 Pacific Islands World Health Innovation Summit – Online Agenda

Date: Friday, 28th November 2025
Time: 09:00 – 12:00 BST
Format: Online - Youtube, Linkedin, Facebook
Partners: GSPA - CPCF  • Ministries of Health Pacific Islands

“Health and Resilience in the Pacific – Addressing NCDs, Strengthening Systems, and Building Investment Opportunities”

09:00 – 09:15 | Opening Session

• Welcome Remarks
  • Gareth Presch, CEO, World Health Innovation Summit
  • Dr Les Ala (Medical Consultant, RGH)
  • Commonwealth Pacific Climate Fund (CPCF)
  • Dr Sandro Demaio, Director and Head of Office, WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health
• Scene-Setting: Health & wellbeing in the Pacific – challenges and opportunities

09:15 – 10:00 | Session 1: Awareness – The Current Situation

Topic: NCDs, Diabetes & Health Inequalities in the Pacific

• Keynote: Understanding the burden of NCDs in Vanuatu and across Pacific Island nations - Dr Les Ala (Medical Consultant, RGH)
• Panel Discussion:
  • Ministries of Health Pacific Region
  • Dr Sandro Demaio, Director and Head of Office, WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health
  • Public health expert on diabetes/NCDs
  • Tahina Booth, Founder Managing Director, Grass Skirt Project, Papua New Guinea

10:00 – 10:45 | Session 2: Building Resilience & Opportunities for Health Systems

Topic: Strengthening Healthcare Delivery – Wellness Centres, Polyclinics & Hospitals

• Case Studies: Innovative health service delivery in remote island contexts
• Panel Discussion:
  • Dr Sivaneswaran  Poobalasingam MD, Dip IBLM,FIBLM
  • Vila Central Hospital representative
  • Regional Hospital representative
  • Visiting Medical Specialist Programme (RACS PIP / HSL)
  • NGO/Charity partner supporting outreach services

10:45 – 11:30 | Session 3: Investment & Partnerships for the Future

Topic: Mobilising Finance & Partnerships for Pacific Health

• Keynote: The role of investment in resilient health systems (Commonwealth Pacific Climate Fund)
• Panel Discussion:
  • CPCF on climate-health financing
  • Investor/impact fund representative
  • Philanthropic/NGO partner
  • PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships)

11:30 – 12:00 | Closing Session & Call to Action

• Summary of key takeaways from each session
• Closing remarks

Next Steps: Pathway towards a Pacific Islands Health Innovation Roadmap (2026 and beyond)

Academia institutions - colleges, universities, schools who wish to partner email: info@whis.world 

For sponsorship opportunities contact gareth@whis.world 

The World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) is a global platform aimed at fostering innovation in healthcare by bringing together various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and patients. The summit provides a collaborative environment for sharing knowledge, ideas, and best practices to address global health challenges. Here are some key aspects and objectives of the WHIS:

1. Promoting Healthcare Innovation: The summit focuses on innovative solutions and technologies that can improve healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, and overall public health.
2. Collaboration and Networking: WHIS facilitates networking among diverse participants, enabling cross-sector collaboration and partnerships that can drive healthcare improvements.
3. Sharing Best Practices: Participants share successful strategies and approaches from different regions and contexts, helping others learn and implement effective practices.
4. Policy and Advocacy: The summit engages with policymakers to discuss and advocate for policies that support health innovation and address barriers to healthcare access and quality.
5. Patient-Centered Care: Emphasizing the importance of patient perspectives, WHIS aims to ensure that healthcare innovations meet the actual needs and preferences of patients.
6. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The summit aligns with the United Nations' SDGs, particularly those related to health and well-being, promoting initiatives that contribute to global health targets.you receive the best possible care.
7. Investment: and opportunities to create a sustainable model of healthcare worldwide. 

Background: Tackling the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Crisis in Vanuatu and the Pacific

The South Pacific islands face one of the most urgent health challenges of our time – the growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In Vanuatu, NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory conditions, cancer, diabetes, and mental health disorders account for a staggering 74% of all mortality.

Recent data underline the severity of the problem. Screening on two islands (9,000 adults over 25 years) revealed:

• 42% hypertension
• 16–20% diabetes (increasing trend)
• 59% overweight/obese

This reflects a broader regional crisis where lifestyle, diet, and limited healthcare access collide with high vulnerability.

Vanuatu has developed a comprehensive, decade-long strategy to reduce premature NCD deaths and improve quality of life. 

The plan emphasizes a continuum of care:

1. Prevention & Health Promotion – education campaigns, healthy diet, physical activity.
2. Screening & Early Detection – wider rollout of community-level checks.
3. Diagnosis & Treatment – strengthening primary and secondary care.
4. Management & Rehabilitation – addressing complications and chronic needs.
5. Palliative Care – ensuring dignity and support at end of life.

• Multisectoral collaboration – government, NGOs, health providers, and community groups working together.
• Community engagement – empowering villages, churches, and youth networks to lead awareness.
• Equity – ensuring services reach remote islands and vulnerable groups.
• Evidence-based practice – using both international guidelines and local data.
• Responsiveness – tailoring interventions to Pacific cultural and community realities.

Building on a 2015 baseline, Vanuatu has set ambitious goals:

• 25% reduction in NCD mortality (M: from 52% → <39%; F: from 60% → <45%)
• 10% reduction in physical inactivity (11.7% → <10.5%)
• 25% reduction in hypertension prevalence (28.6% → <21.5%)
• No increase in obesity (kept at 18.8%)
• No increase in diabetes (kept at 9.3%)

The WHIS South Pacific online gathering will provide a platform for policy makers, health professionals, NGOs, researchers, and communities to:

• Share lessons from the Vanuatu NCD Strategy.
• Discuss practical tools for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment.
• Explore how equity, collaboration, and community-led innovation can turn the tide.
• Build regional cooperation to reduce NCDs across the Pacific.

Vanuatu’s story is one of urgency but also of hope – a small island nation facing a major health crisis, yet leading with vision, community strength, and innovation. The next five years are critical: success will depend on collective action to prevent disease, 

strengthen health systems, and empower communities.