BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
THE Australian Government has reaffirmed its commitment to support the health sector in Solomon Islands through long-term partnerships that aim to strengthen health systems and improve service delivery.
Speaking during the opening of the Western Province Health Summit in Gizo yesterday, Australia’s First Secretary for Health, Jemma Thompson, said Australia is pleased to support the Provincial Health Summit, which seeks to build a stronger and more resilient health system in Solomon Islands.
She said the support reflects Australia’s longstanding partnership with the Solomon Islands Government to improve healthcare services across the country.
“Our focus is on strengthening health systems, not just supporting individual services. That means building local capability, supporting leadership, and backing reforms that can be sustained over time,” Thompson said.
She said the Health Summit scorecard initiative demonstrates a strong partnership that is locally led, evidence-based and focused on supporting practical decision-making by those closest to the health system.
Addressing participants, Thompson outlined what success would look like for Western Province.
“Success means having a clear and credible picture of how the health system is performing today. It means identifying the most important gaps and pressure points, rather than trying to fix everything at once.
“It means developing a shared understanding across stakeholders. Most importantly, this process should create a platform for ongoing monitoring, learning, and improvement – not just a one-off assessment,” she said.
Thompson stressed that the true measure of success will not be the scorecard itself, but how it is used to guide decisions and deliver practical improvements for frontline health workers and communities.
She said the summit presents an opportunity for Western Province to lead efforts in strengthening provincial health systems in Solomon Islands and to set an example for other provinces to follow.
“I encourage everyone participating in this summit to engage openly and constructively.
“Please focus on the practical realities of the system, and on solutions that make sense in the local context. And ensure the voices of communities and frontline health workers are reflected in the discussion – they see the system at work every day,” Thompson said.
She said strong ownership by Western Province will be essential for the success of the initiative, alongside close alignment with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and a shared commitment to implement outcomes beyond the summit.
Thompson reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to support stronger primary healthcare, better use of data for decision-making, and improved health outcomes for communities in provincial settings.
The Western Province Health Summit is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen healthcare systems across the country through collaboration between the Government, development partners, health workers and communities.
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