MANILA, 12 OCTOBER 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) —Nearly 1.7 million babies or about one in every 11 born in the Western Pacific missed the first routine vaccine dose in 2025, the World Health Organisation said, warning of the risks of otherwise eliminated diseases resurging in the region. WHO noted that coverage with three doses of […]
Tag: WHO
Posted inIn Focus
Op-Measles is making a comeback. Will we end it for good?
By Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific For many years, measles felt like a disease of the past across the Western Pacific region. This did not happen by chance. It was the result of decades of political commitment, investment, and public health work that steadily pushed measles closer to elimination. […]
Posted inTop Stories
Painkiller allegedly used to get high
A painkiller called Tramadol is allegedly being used as a pill to get “high” on, a doctor at Belau National Hospital claimed. However, the doctor said that the painkiller like Tramadol is strictly prescribed in the cases of deadly diseases such as cancer and the Government of Palau has stopped the sale of Tramadol at […]
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Palau asks WHA to grant Taiwan an observer status
Palau has asked the World Health Assembly (WHA), the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision-making body, to invite Taiwan as an observer in the provisional agenda of its 72nd session slated May 20-28 in Geneva, Switzerland. Palau’s Health Minister Emais Roberts, in his speech to the WHA on May 20, said that WHO should recognize the […]
Posted inBillboard
Taiwan’s advances in digital healthcare
This year marks the 24th anniversary of Taiwan’s implementation of universal health coverage. Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) covers the full spectrum of essential health services, from prevention and treatment to rehabilitation and palliative care. In the 1960s, Taiwan’s health sector began the process of incorporating laborers, farmers, and government employees into the health insurance […]
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Health officials urge vaccination amid measles outbreak in Asia-Pacific region
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the Ministries of Health in Pacific Island Countries, including Palau of the measles outbreak across the Asia-Pacific region, according to Palau’s Ministry of Health (MOH) press statement yesterday. Although Palau has no reported cases of measles, health officials are warning people to make sure they are vaccinated against it. Vaccination […]