BY BEN BILUA
GIZO
Australia has invested $150 million Solomon dollars into health improvement programs across Solomon Islands, reaffirming its role as the country’s leading health partner.
The funding forms part of the Solomon Islands–Australia Health Partnership, which aims to strengthen service delivery, improve health outcomes for all Solomon Islanders, and support the Ministry of Health to achieve the goals outlined in the National Health Strategic Plan.
Speaking at the opening of the National Healthy Setting Conference, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Health Senior Program Manager, Zina Fefera said Australia is proud to stand alongside Solomon Islands.
She said the Health Partnership leverages and harnesses the impact of many other significant investments that Australia provides in Solomon Islands at both the regional and global level.
This includes support through the Global Fund, Gavi, World Bank, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, volunteer programs, NGO grants, and more than 20 projects under Australia’s flagship Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative.
Fefera highlighted the Provincial Health Grant as a key pillar of the partnership, noting that it provides critical resources to provincial governments, enabling them to deliver essential health services and community-based initiatives such as healthy settings.
She commended the Solomon Islands Government for turning the aspirations of the 2018 Healthy Setting Conference into reality, describing the current event as “a clear example of a local idea and initiative that has grown to have significant impact.”
“This success is aligned with Australia’s localization strategy, supporting local-led development and ownership. The conference shows that home-grown solutions can deliver meaningful and sustainable results,” Fefera said.
She stressed the importance of adapting to persistent and emerging public health challenges, adding that the Healthy Settings model places people and communities at the centre of health delivery—in villages, schools, workplaces, markets, and churches.
On the conference theme, “Building Sustainable Healthy Settings,” Fefera said sustainability requires leadership, strong systems, and consistent financing.
“The slogan, ‘Investing in Healthy Settings, Shaping the Future,’ captures our shared vision—that the investments we make today in health promotion and prevention will reduce the burden of disease tomorrow and create healthier, stronger communities for future generations,” she said.
Fefera assures that Australia remains committed to supporting Solomon Islands through the Provincial Health Grant and broader partnership programs.
“Together, let us translate policy into action, and action into healthier, more resilient communities across Solomon Islands,” she said.
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