Our Work in Samoa

The Pacific Islands–WHO Multi-country Cooperation Strategy 2024–2029, or MCCS, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) through a consultative process involving 21 Pacific Island countries and areas (PICs), outlines WHO’s comprehensive and tailored medium-term support plan in the Pacific. This summary provides an overview of the MCCS, highlighting its alignment with regional and global health strategies.

The Samoan health system includes public, private and traditional sectors. Various organizations such as NGOs, academic institutions, communities and development partners all play important roles. Publicly funded health services currently dominate the system under the oversight of the Ministry of Health. Samoa has some of the world’s highest rates and risk factors for NCDs. NCDs account for over 80% of all premature deaths in Samoa. Mental health issues are an emerging concern, with increasing cases seen at the national hospital and in communities.

The health sector in Samoa has seen some major changes over the past several years, with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Services merging in 2019. Since then, there has been a drive to revitalize primary health care by reorienting and strengthening health service delivery.

To drive change, increasing public expenditure for preventive care has been identified as a priority. Redirection of government expenditures to health promotion, disease prevention and public health is the most tangible and visible sign of the move toward preventive care, and a strategic demonstration of the Government’s commitment to achieving its vision. In addition, there is a need to ensure programmes are cross-cutting and that resources are properly directed to individual programmes to achieve better efficiency and value for money from Samoa’s own health expenditure.

Given the measles outbreak in 2019 and the subsequent COVID-19 challenges, Samoa has learnt lessons that will put it in a better position to fast-track its health system to be more robust and adaptable to ensure it can withstand health emergencies.

In the new pathway for the development of Samoa, improved public health sits under improved social development as Key Strategic Outcome 1, aspiring to ensure all people receive quality health-care services and all Samoans have equal access to affordable social service, as well as livelihoods and opportunities. The expected outcomes are:

1. health-care services and facilities improved
2. prevalence of NCDs and infectious diseases reduced
3. life expectancy increased.

There is also a strategic focus on secondary prevention, including patient adherence to medications to avert or delay the burden, both financially and physically, of NCDs such as diabetes and hypertension.

Overall, Samoa has seen health improvements, but it continues to face constraints in addressing NCDs, climate risks, disease outbreaks and health system capacity.