Our work in Vanuatu

Vanuatu is a Melanesian country located in the southern Pacific Ocean comprising 83 islands across six provinces. It had an estimated population of 313 000 as of 2023, with three quarters living rurally. The urban population resides primarily in the capital of Port Vila and in Luganville. Vanuatu gained independence in 1980 after being a British and French protectorate. It has a constitutional parliamentary governance system. The services sector focused on tourism is the largest contributor to GDP followed by agriculture, fishing and forestry.

Vanuatu faces ongoing challenges in improving population health outcomes and strengthening its health system despite recent successes in eliminating certain communicable diseases such as lymphatic filariasis (2016) and trachoma (2022). Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and respiratory illnesses have risen and outbreaks of preventable diseases remain a concern, especially for children, as do natural disasters which frequently devastate infrastructure. Key barriers include limited healthcare access and poor conditions in rural areas, lack of quality data for decision-making, an insufficient and overburdened health workforce, and maintenance issues exacerbated by environmental shocks. Though the Ministry of Health has outlined critical policies and plans, capacity constraints hinder their implementation. Vanuatu requires sustained efforts to build resilient health systems that can deliver quality services and respond to communicable and noncommunicable disease burdens among its dispersed populations vulnerable to climate change impacts. Stronger health information systems, infrastructure and human resources will be instrumental to improving population health.