Health in Tuvalu

As in much of Oceania, obesity is a major health issue in Tuvalu with 65% of men and 71% of women being overweight.^[1] In 2012 the birth rate on the islands was estimated at 23 per 1,000 people and life expectancy was 65.^[2]

The cuisine of Tuvalu is based on the staple of pulaka, taro, breadfruit, bananas and coconut and the many species of fish found in the ocean and lagoons of the atolls. The Tuvaluans benefited from the canned food supplied by the American forces during the Second World War, although the change in diet continued after the war, which resulted in long-term impacts on health. Tuvaluans adopted a diet that includes high levels of corned beef, rice and sugar, consumed even when fish and traditional vegetables are available.^[3] The change of diet to include more processed foods is believed to contribute to increasing levels of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases among Tuvaluans.^[4]

Medical problems in Tuvalu

In the 19th and 20th century, after the beginning of commerce with Europe and the United States, the primary medical problem in the islands was tuberculosis.^[3] Tuberculosis has declined from an average 36 cases per year to 19 per year from 1975 to 2009.^{[5] [8]} In 2016 the incidence of tuberculosis was reported as continuing to decline with average of 15 new cases of sputum positive infections every year.^[9]

Since the late 20th century the biggest health problem in Tuvalu, and the leading cause of death, has been heart disease,^[5] which is closely followed by diabetes^[10] and high blood pressure.^[5] In 2016 the majority of deaths resulted from cardiac diseases, with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, and cerebral-vascular disease among the other causes of death.^[9]

In 2014, the World Health Organization confirmed an outbreak of dengue fever in Tuvalu. The illness has re emerged in several Pacific Island countries after a period of twenty years.^[11] A further outbreak of dengue fever occurred in 2019, from 25 March to 5 July 496 suspected and 226 confirmed cases were reported. 54 cases required hospitalisation from which 2 children died.^[12]

Healthcare

The Princess Margaret Hospital on Funafuti is the only hospital in Tuvalu and the primary provider of medical services. The Tuvaluan medical staff at the hospital in 2011 comprised the Director of Health & Surgeon, the Chief Medical Officer Public Health, an anaesthetist, a paediatric medical officer and an obstetrics and gynaecology medical officer. Allied health staff include two radiographers, two pharmacists, three laboratory technicians, two dieticians and 13 nurses with specialised training in fields including surgical nursing, anaesthesia nursing/ICU, paediatric nursing and midwifery. It also employs a dentist. The Department of Health also employs nine or ten nurses on the outer islands to provide general nursing and midwifery services.^[13][3]

Non-government organizations

There are no private formal medical services available in Tuvalu.^[14] Non-government organizations provide health services, such as the Tuvalu Red Cross Society; Fusi Alofa (the care and rehabilitation of disabled children);^[15] the Tuvalu Family Health Association (training and support on sexual and reproductive health); and the Tuvalu Diabetics Association (training and support on diabetes).^[14]

References

1. "The Impact of Chronic Disease in Tuvalu" (PDF). World Health Organization. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
2. "Health in Tuvalu". Commonwealth Health. 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
3. Resture, Setapu Asenati (March 2010). (PDF). A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Arts in History – The University of Auckland, N.Z. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
4. Panapa, Tufoua (2012). "Ethnographic Research on Meanings and Practices of Health in Tuvalu: A Community Report" (PDF). Report to the Tuvaluan Ministries of Health and Education: Ph D Candidate Centre for Development Studies - "Transnational Pacific Health through the Lens of Tuberculosis" Research Group. Department of Anthropology, The University of Auckland, N.Z. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
5. (PDF). Saga University-Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU). 9–25 March 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
6. "Population of communities in Tuvalu". world-statistics.org. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
7. "Population of communities in Tuvalu". Thomas Brinkhoff. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
8. The population of Tuvalu was 9,561 at 2002 census and the population at the 2012 census was 10,640.^[6][7]
9. "Global AIDS Progress Report of Tuvalu" (PDF). Ministry of Health Tuvalu. 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
10. Walker, Lawrence Zdenek. "Elective Report April-May 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 16 March 2013.
11. "WHO says dengue now in Tuvalu". Radio NZ International. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
12. "Dengue-1 Outbreak, Tuvalu: Situational Report 25th March - 4th July 2019 (Epidemic Week 27) (Report Date: Wednesday, July 10, 2019)". ReliefWeb. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
13. Panapa, Tufoua (2012). "Ethnographic Research on Meanings and Practices of Health in Tuvalu: A Community Report" (PDF). Report to the Tuvaluan Ministries of Health and Education: Ph D Candidate Centre for Development Studies – "Transnational Pacific Health through the Lens of Tuberculosis" Research Group. Department of Anthropology, The University of Auckland, N.Z. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
14. Knapman, Bruce; Ponton, Malcolm & Hunt, Colin (2002). TUVALU 2002 Economic and Public Sector Review. Asian Development Bank. pp. 134–136. ISBN 9789715614597. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
15. Corlew, Laura (2012). "The cultural impacts of climate change: sense of place and sense of community in Tuvalu, a country threatened by sea level rise" (PDF). Ph D dissertation, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Retrieved 11 September 2016.