SUVA – The Pacific Islands, grappling with the world’s highest death rates from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), could better address its health crisis through region-wide services, World Bank President Ajay Banga said on Thursday in Fiji. Diabetes, a leading cause of death in the region, is particularly severe in Fiji, where amputations are performed every 8.5 hours, according to health officials.
During his visit, Banga emphasized the need for larger-scale health services to efficiently tackle the crisis, given the small population sizes of individual Pacific Island nations. “The Pacific Islands as a community has to do this together,” he said after visiting an understaffed health clinic in Suva.
The World Bank aims to improve primary healthcare for 1.5 billion people by 2030, expanding its focus to include NCDs alongside maternal and child health services.
Banga also met with Pacific Island leaders to discuss the importance of their collective voice in urging wealthier nations to increase their contributions to the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), which supports poverty alleviation efforts. He stressed the need for faster project approvals, highlighting that focusing on larger-scale projects could help accelerate progress.
Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni called for greater focus on “building resilience” in key sectors like education and health, and welcomed efforts to replenish the IDA, which he said would provide essential financial support to the region.