Last Updated on 8 years by Publishing Team

KAILA: Pacific Voice for Action on Agenda 2030

Pacific Island Ministers gathered in Nadi last week to deliberate on strengthening climate change resilience through reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) before upcoming COP21 climate change talks in Paris.

The impact of climate change on health systems has been taken on as a challenge for Ministers from Pacific Island Countries and they have issued a Kaila for strengthening climate resilience.

It has been recognized that the real and potential impacts of climate variability on health systems is an immediate challenge in the Pacific. Kaila is a collective voice of Pacific Island Countries to ensure that the Pacific Voice is heard in global conversations.

Following consultations with technical experts and stakeholders, the Pacific Island Ministers have called for action on:

• The imperative of gender equality and women’s empowerment as a priority of national health plans and programmes in the context of climate change.
• Robust gender analysis, concrete steps for gender mainstreaming and evidence-based monitoring of RMNCAH.
• Strengthening participation of women, children and adolescents in the formulation and implementation of the RMNCAH components of National and Regional Adaptation Plans.
• Strengthening strategic focus on RMNCAH as an instrument for enhancing the contribution of women, children and adolescents to effective climate change adaptation.

The Pacific Island Ministers have also committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help secure the future for Pacific Island people, planet, peace and prosperity.

The meeting outcome also saw the importance of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent Health (2016-2030) that reflects a new consensus on the need to better prioritize reproductive, maternal, newborn, children and adolescent health in humanitarian or fragile settings such as natural hazards, extreme climatic conditions or disease outbreak that impact Pacific Island Countries.

The 3 day meeting was hosted by the Fiji Ministry for Health and Medical Services, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).