2024 End of Year Summary

Thanks to the time, effort and expertise provided by our supporters and colleagues, the Pacific RHD Program was able to successfully kick off in 2024.

To summarise, these are some of the fantastic achievements we have had in 2024:

• Completed stakeholder engagement visits in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

• Held two virtual initial collaborator workshops (26 attendees across 16 organisations)

• Developed a Pacific TIPs adaptation working group of 30 people across 12 countries, and held the first workshop which was attended by 12 representatives across all Pacific regions (Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia)

• Established local governance and advisory groups in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

• Hired two consultants (a ni-Vanuatu Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Advisor, and an Australian-based Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor)

• Supported two travelling clinicians to conduct RHD screening in Solomon Islands

What's next?

In 2025, we are looking forward to support some more on-the-ground activities. The following are some of the things we are planning to achieve:

• Employ staff in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

• Finalise and publish the Pacific adaptation of the TIPs

• Complete desktop scoping review of RHD control activities across all Pacific countries

• Conduct a Fiji workshop for key stakeholders around the Pacific Paediatric Association conference on the 25th - 26th of April

• Conduct a mini program launch in Honiara and Port Vila (mid-year)

• Establish the ‘Knowledge Hub’ in Fiji mid-year (and its associated naming journey)

• Launch the online resource hub for Pacific RHD resources (in conjunction with REACH)