Kiribati, home to around 120,000 people, lies in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, north of New Zealand and south-west of Hawaii. Of its 33 far flung islands, none are more than four metres above sea level at their highest point. This makes it one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.
“Here in Kiribati, we see just how clearly the world needs to take decisive climate action,” said Dr Wendy Snowdon, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Liaison Officer to Kiribati. “We are already seeing significant effects from climate change, including on health. Changes in the environment are affecting daily lives and people’s mental and physical health.”
In Kiribati, like the rest of the Pacific, the many health impacts of climate change are already being felt. A recent prolonged drought, for example, affected the quality and availability of drinking water, putting people at risk of waterborne diseases. Climate change is also making it increasingly difficult to grow fruit and vegetables in Kiribati, leaving people more and more reliant on imported processed foods which are mostly high in fat, sugar and salt. This is contributing to noncommunicable diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart and lung disease. At the same time, rising seas are threatening health facilities at the very moment when health care is most needed.
While calling for global action to limit climate change, WHO is therefore also working to support the Kiribati Ministry of Health and Medical Services’ efforts to strengthen the country’s ability to withstand and respond to the health impacts of rising temperatures, rising seas and extreme weather events. With US$ 6 million in funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Ministry and WHO are working together to implement the four-year Te Mamauri project to increase the national health system’s climate resilience.
One aspect of the support is focused on strengthening health facilities on three higher risk outer islands: Abemama, Marakei and Tamana. Work is already underway. In December, a multidisciplinary team from the government of Kiribati with colleagues from WHO travelled to the island of Marakei, approximately 60km north-east of the main island of South Tarawa. They came together with the Mayor, Clerk, local council members and health workers to discuss the interaction of the climate and health and how they could work together to increase the resilience of health facilities and communities. An assessment was conducted of the island’s five clinics to guide future renovation efforts. Already, a set of solar lights was dispatched to ensure the health facilities have continued access to light – critical for the safe performance of medical procedures at night, in these locations where there is no existing power supply.
The team prepares to visit the clinics and collect water samples for testing. Credit: WHO/Morrison Tabokai
The solar lights were checked after arrival on Marakei and will now be distributed to the island’s health clinics. Credit: WHO/Morrison Tabokai
While on Marakei, the environmental health team also took the opportunity to check on water sources available in the outer island’s schools, health facilities and communities, testing the quality of the drinking water. A damaged pump at the Raweai clinic was fixed by the team.
Lavinia Boorau from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services’ Environmental Health Unit conducts water quality testing. Credit: WHO/Morrison Tabokai
Local WHO team member, Morrison Tabokai, reported that the trip to Marakei had been an important milestone in the Te Mamauri project:
“I really want to thank the Mayor, the Clerk, the council members, the health workers and community members we met during our time in Marakei. They’re really committed to ensuring that their community is protected and can continue accessing health care even in the face of climate change. Their inputs on our assessment tool and awareness-raising efforts will help us as we continue to roll out this project in the other islands. And, of course, we want to thank our colleagues at KOICA for providing the funding to make this all possible.”
The Marakei Council meets with the joint Ministry-WHO team in Rawannawi village. Credit: WHO/Morrison Tabokai
WHO’s work alongside the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Kiribati is just one aspect of the Organization’s efforts to counter the climate crisis. At the global level, for instance, WHO hosted the first-ever Health Day at a United Nations Climate Conference (COP) on 3 December. In the Pacific, WHO’s Fiji-based Division of Pacific Technical Support is supporting a number of island nations to strengthen the environmental sustainability and climate resilience of their health systems. The Division also recently launched a toolkit for climate advocates.
“We must all do what we can,” continued Dr Snowdon. “Because it isn’t only Kiribati that’s at risk, but all of us – here, we’re just experiencing these effects first.”