On January 25, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) jointly organized a technical webinar to strengthen the capacity of health workers in the Pacific Islands countries to manage complicated COVID-19 cases.
This webinar’s topic was Managing COVID-19 in Patients with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Technical Webinar and was attended by 87 clinicians, nurses and health workers representing six countries, including Fiji, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Vanuatu and Cook Islands. The training aimed to build health worker capacity in COVID-19 case management for patients with underlying comorbidities, at both the hospital and community levels.
The Pacific Islands region has some of the world’s highest rates of NCDs, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases, which are the leading cause of death accounting for 75 percent of mortalities. COVID-19 clinical management is further complicated in cases with underlying NCDs.
“As the front line of the COVID-19 response in the Pacific, we appreciate your participation,” USAID Deputy Mission Director for the Pacific Islands and Mongolia, Sean Callahan said.
“With the emergence of variants, including the recent arrival of Omicron in the Pacific Islands, it is critical that we continue to learn and adapt to the evolving environment and emerging needs.”
During the training, expert presenters engaged participants and shared best practices to improve COVID-19 case management among those with NCDs. The webinar encouraged participants to discuss their own country examples and formulate solutions to the challenges identified.
The webinar marks USAID and TaiwanICDF’s second collaborative health training event in the region. This partnership leverages the technical expertise, experience and global and regional knowledge of the two agencies to address development challenges in the Pacific region.
“As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of USAID, we are pleased to partner with our Taiwan and SPC counterparts as we pursue a shared vision of a healthier and more resilient Pacific Island region,” Deputy Mission Director Callahan added.
The United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in global health. Over the past decade, the United States has invested more than $620 million for health for the Pacific Islands.
