Pacific news in brief for 11 August

The "dengue knowledge, attitudes, and practices" study was launched at the House of Tonga in Nuku'alofa last week. Photo: Tonga Ministry of Health

Tonga - dengue

A study on dengue in Tonga has found inconsistent prevention practices and misconceptions about the transmitting of the disease.

The "dengue knowledge, attitudes, and practices" study was launched at the House of Tonga in Nuku'alofa last week.

It showed 94 percent of Tongans are aware of dengue, and 81 percent know Aedes mosquitoes are the cause.

Ministry of Health CEO Dr Reynold Ofanoa shared a plan including household visits, village cleanups, and stronger local engagement.

Papua New Guinea - incident

The member of parliament for Lae in Papua New Guinea has praised a community for not retaliating after a violent incident.

The Post-Courier reports the violence began with a robbery and escalated into a confrontation between two communities, leaving four dead.

John Rosso, who is also deputy prime minister, described the incident as a "barbaric behaviour".

Rosso said he does not know who is right or wrong, and urged the public to trust the justice system.

Vanuatu - stunting

A Vanuatu health officer has been researching stunting - which includes impaired growth and development - in children in the country.

Ratu Bani said stunting can affect a child's entire life.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reports his study listens directly to healthcare workers in the capital to learn what they see as the causes, challenges, and possible ways forward.

He plans to share his findings with the Ministry of Health to help inform better approaches to reducing stunting and improving outcomes for children.

Vanuatu - whooping cough

After more than a week of suspected whooping cough cases on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, the Ministry and Department of Health have yet to confirm whether the cases are positive.

A report from the Department yesterday says there is a shortage of tubes needed to store collected samples and send them for testing in Australia, Fiji, or New Caledonia.

The Department says it is still waiting for confirmation of the first samples sent to Australia.

A reliable source from Tanna told the Vanuatu daily Post at this stage, no further samples can be collected due to the shortage of tubes.

Guam - salvage

Salvage crews will be working in Guam later this year to retrieve abandoned and derelict vessels.

Guam is among the eight US jurisdictions prioritized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the NOAA, under a four-year marine debris removal program.

The Pacific Island Times reported that the Boat-US Foundation announced the NOAA's four-year grant to fund debris removal and education efforts, in communities heavily impacted by underwater wreckage that poses pollution hazards.

In 2021, the Navy removed submerged wreckage from the Guam Harbor of Refuge in response to the local government's request.