Australian Govt announces $620 million program for a healthy region

The Australian Government has announced a $620 million program over the next 5 years for the partnership for a healthy region, which will support a range of initiatives.

While touring the Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp in Votualevu, the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong says these initiatives will include making sure children catch up on their immunization, ensuring routine of immunization is up to date, access to maternity care and a focus on significant diseases including HIV/AIDS, STDs and malaria.

She says what they saw during COVID-19 is that a lot of health resources were diverted to meet the challenges presented by the pandemic, and often it comes with the expense of an underlying health system.

The Australian Foreign Affairs Minister says Australia regards its relationship with Fiji as of paramount importance.

Acknowledging the support from Australia, Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua says this institution is an important facility, particularly for humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

He says it also extends Fiji’s international footprint in the area of peacekeeping operations around the world, not only for Fiji but the region at large.