Health concerns in the pacific islands

December 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 05: Australian Pri...
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Health concerns have been raised at the Pacific islands after the WHO (world health organization) issued an alert on the spread of epidemics. Islands have geographical challenges, in that it is predisposed to being epidemically quarantined. Because of its isolated geographical disposition, epidemic diseases might not get out of the geography easily.

Apart from infectious diseases, the WHO also spotted cardiovascular diseases on the rise in the pacific islands. Even obesity was on the rise. Since the islanders have a propensity to indulge in drugs and alcohol due to the tourist influxes, inhabitants now have addiction problems too.

Most diseases prevalent in the pacific islands are lifestyle-induced. Statistics indicate that the Pacific islands have the highest lifestyle-induced diseases. This is an alarming trend, and the WHO is taking steps to resolve this.

Recently the WHO held a workshop to help people realize the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The workshop covered aspects of nutrition, and healthy lifestyle patterns. Intending to promote an increased level of awareness, this workshop was worth its efforts in spreading the message of healthy living.

Top ministers and politicians of the Pacific met in Vanuatu, in August 2010, to discuss this problem. They developed a guideline for applying a successful approach to resolve issues related to diet and lifestyle. Emphasizing the need to restrict minors to alcohol, the guideline will pave the way for a more controlled availability of lifestyle food and beverages.

WHO in coordination with the leaders of the Pacific islands, and other global healthcare consortiums are coming up with ways to tackle the problem. Aiming to block the access of alcohol and narcotics to children is the primary concern of the WHO. Young addicts are becoming common in the pacific islands. Given the influx of foreign nationals in most islands, the situation often times is something that is difficult to control. The health of the people of the Pacific islands need to be salvaged, before it is too late.

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Problem of Unsafe Water in the Pacific Islands

November 23, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Mwamanongu Village water source, Tanzania. &qu...
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Water-borne diseases are on the rise in the Pacific Islands. Countries in the Pacific Islands are now raising concerns of a potential mass-spread of an epidemic. The SPC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) is coming forward to deal with this problem.

A lot of people die every year after consuming toxic water. Unsafe water is quite a bad thing to have in the picturesque countries of the Pacific Islands. Children are worst affected. Due to bad sanitation of the houses, children are getting infected faster. Hygienic imbalances are also creating perilous living conditions in the Pacific Islands.

Another contributing factor to this unhealthy condition is the spread of drought. Certain countries are experiencing prolonged periods of drought. Such situations aggravate matters, and make water storage a matter of survival. Water storage creates hygiene issues, in that it also creates a perfect setting for mosquitoes to breed.
SOPAC is now revving up plans to educate the people about safe ways to store water. They are also coming out with programmes to education people on how to make water clean and drinkable. Things like sanitation and general healthy living conditions are also being planned-out.

It seems that the only way out would be to educate people. As the saying goes that prevention is better than cure, education is in a way a preventive measure. Largely plagued by mass-illiteracy, some islands nations will offer challenging propositions to the volunteer organizations and SOPAC.

SOPAC had come out with a Drinking Water Safety Plan to encounter this problem. Successfully implemented in various countries of the Pacific Islands, the same is being envisioned across a lot of other countries.

To better dispense the program, communities living in the cities as well as the villages will be engaged into action. After providing them training, they will be given the tools and methodologies to conduct inspections. Trained people will then go forward and train others. In this way, a multi-level induction of training is achieved.

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Invasive Species in the Pacific Islands

November 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Erigeron karvinskianus, an invasive introduced...
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Invasive species refer to flora and fauna that are not native to the terrain of a place. When they grow, they cause a lot of harm to the general ecosystem of the place. Invasive plants are also called as pest plants. They tend to grow in groups that are bio-natively reserved for growth of a particular type of plant species, and hence are called invasive.

In the Pacific Islands, invasive species of plants are becoming problematic. Countries of the pacific are raising their concerns and asking governments to act. Sometime back, a paper on the potential disruptions of invasive species was presented at a meeting held in Papua New Guinea. Pointing out the fatalities associated with the domination of invasive species, the paper revealed the stark realities of facing ecosystem paradigms for the worse.

The first step to counter this issue is to educate the public. Most often than not, people are oblivious to the fact that a non-native plant is growing in their farmland. Even if they do, they do not fully realize its consequences. A workshop was conducted in the month of April, 2010 titled Helping Island Adapt. The issue of invasive species in the Pacific Islands was brought forth in this workshop. Engaging the participation of different island nations, this workshop proposed progressive steps to tackle the problem.

The Helping Islands workshop developed activities in different regions to tackle this problem. Given the differences in the biodiversity in different islands, it was indeed a revelatory participation engaging the erudition and knowledge of flora and fauna experts.

It has to be said that the global community do not understand the issue faced with biological diversity. Issues related to invasive species might not come up in the main agenda of talks. By highlighting the global threat of invasive species, more proactive if not reactive participation can be conjured up. Workshops like these are plotting on using ways and means to get their voice heard internationally.

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What Do You Know About the South Pacific Island of Fiji?

October 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment

While most consumers can easily identify water that is supposedly from Fiji, very few people know much else about this South Pacific Island nation. Though it is true that Fiji contains pure and delicious, high-end water that is bottled and sold, Fiji is much more than that to savvy businessmen. Tropical and lovely, filled with waterfalls and coated in candy-gold sands, Fiji appears as peaceful and serene as it is distressed and dilapidated.

Military rule has been the law of the land in Fiji for more than four years, now. This lovely little Pacific Island has become the home of terror, slums, and pariah-like qualities that make its mishaps seem untouchable. Though the royal family of England is still beloved by Fiji citizens, the land has been suspended from its membership in the Commonwealth. This humiliating punishment is shocking for people who understand what the Commonwealth is to its people.

Voreqe Bainimarama, a military commander who is also considered a mastermind, toppled the ruling government back in 2006 under the promise of freedom from corruption, clean streets, and an end to poverty. Now unpopular and even shunned by the Commonwealth and Fiji’s traditional allies, Bainimarama is looking elsewhere for friendship. Countries in Asia, in particular China, have become interested in what Fiji has to offer. Bainimarama called leaders from Beijing who bailed him out of debt recently, “visionaries.”

Only for those in the dark does this come as a surprise, as the Red Dragon has been gathering friends in most countries that dislike the power-hold of the West. From Burma to Zimbabwe, Sudan to Cuba, China seems to enjoy the company of any nation that’s on the outskirts of Western approval. For Fiji, this may mean much needed human services and funding, but the long term affects could prove destabilizing for a once-peaceful Pacific Island.

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“Near Miss” Over Fiji Slows Tourism

October 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Fiji
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News and journalism in the Pacific Islands came alive when an Air New Zealand Boeing 767 nearly hit another plane just over Nadi, in Fiji. The news had people speculating about the cause of the problem, and the safety of aviation in and around the Pacific Islands.

The plane that was missed by breaths and prayers was a V Australia jet that has remained un-identified, but is known to belong to Virgin Blue International Airlines. The incident, reported in May, has led to widespread investigations, but not much information. Air New Zealand officials chose not to make themselves available for comments, though their PR representative, Lara Harrison, reported that the company is busy making enquiries.

Harrison claims that the two airplanes were in constant contact with one another, and that nothing un-planned had occured. Sources for news and journalism in the Pacific Islands would disagree with that remark, as the incident caused panic in those who fly regularly as part of their weekly commute to nearby islands. V Australia representative, Amanda Bolger, stated that the airplanes were in fact alert to the presence of one another, and that neither of the airlines could be faulted for failure to alter courses.

The two planes passed with a mere 800 foot vertical clearance, which caused both planes to retard from the force of air speed. Further specifics about the incident have been with held by both airlines, as they worry about more bad publicity. Tourism to and from Fiji has curbed since this incident, and industry experts predict that it will continue to be affected by reports of the “near miss.”

Though news and journalism in the Pacific Islands is usually slow, this story has proven a hot ticket for reporters, even past the summer when it occured. Wanting answers to enquiries that have been conducted already, Pacific Islands inhabitants pursue the journals to keep the media storm thriving.

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Pacific Islands Perfection: The Republic of Palau

October 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Rice Terraces on the Indonesian island of Bali.
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As a Western traveler who’s been to countless destination vacations, a person experiences a lot of land that has been corrupted by the tourist industry. All of those endless knick-knack souvenir shops, all hawking their gaudy and redundant wares, really put a damper on the beauty of landscapes that were once effortlessly fantastic. Finding a gem that hasn’t been destroyed for capitalistic gains is a treasure of unspeakable value, and sharing it, well, isn’t easy!

Behold, the newest destination vacation for people who want a unique experience and rich cultural heritage: just east of the Philippines, this awesome destination is the Republic of Palau. A collection of limestone islands, placed willy-nilly across the Pacific Islands, counts more than 250 large. This strip of island-speckled ocean is a vision from helicopters, and from small yachts. The easy comparison that has been made is between The Republic of Palau and a Bali of 30 years back. Though this is an apt comparison, most people don’t know how lovely Bali used to be, and automatically think of present day, used-up, Bali.

From Brisbane, tourists can now get to The Republic of Palau in just under six hours, rather than the previous best of 24 hours by boat and plane. Though it takes effort to get there and home, travelers who make it to the Pacific Islands of the Republic of Palau never complain about the trek!

Called Eden by some, the Republic of Palau is not interested in sharing this slice of paradise with outsiders. Though the locals are friendly, and the accommodations are posh, news and journalism in the Pacific Islands has implied on various occasions that the Republic of Palau wants as little notice as possible from the world. They want to keep their pristine treasure private, just as you will be inclined to do when you experience it!

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Earthquakes in the Pacific Islands Region

September 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Christchurch City (New Zealand) from the Port ...
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Earthquakes in the Pacific Islands Region are upsetting for tourists and locals, alike. The recent rumbles in New Zealand have caused much speculation about the long term effects of the latest quake, and how to more accurately gauge future earthquakes for the safety of citizens. The Christchurch rumbles were minor, compared to the damaging assault the Pacific Islands endured. The area, now, seems to be settling back into normalcy, even as the aftershocks serve a threatening reminder to Canterbury.

Nigel Simpson, of the Hawkes Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, reported that the earthquake’s effects were felt strongly in Poranghau. Another earthquake, taking place in the nearby Waipawa, left people worried and anxious with apocalyptic fears. These fears seem well-founded to some, who know that the last tremors that were equally damaging were way back in 1931. Others see the earthquake as a long-awaited horror, that, once over, will not revisit again for nearly a century.

It has been reported to locals that the two earthquakes, though separated by mere days and few miles, were not at all related. This news, according to GNS Science, and agreed upon by seismologist Brian Ferris, occured on two different fault lines, and thus could not be related directly. Ferris called the two incidents “typical” of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, though many see these earthquakes as worthy of coverage by the news and journalism in the Pacific Islands. Though a lovely area, news and journalism in the Pacific Islands is rarely as intriguing as these two quakes, many readers of the New Zealand Herald would agree.

The current calamities of Canterbury are the result of un-reinforced buildings, bridges and byways. The aftershocks, which have been atypically large, have upset the earth around many structures, leaving building code inspectors nervous about the near and distant future for New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

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How Dead Mice Dropped from Helicopters Save the Pacific Island of Guam

September 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A Guam brown tree snake. http://www.npswapa.or...
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After reading the headline, you may be asking yourself, “how can dead mice better serve my country?” Unfortunately, unless you live on the Pacific Island of Guam, it’s unlikely that you need dead mice to serve your nation. Although, if you live in a brown tree snake inhabited area, this article could save you life.

Dead mice, filled as full as possible with acetaminophen, have been dropped from helicopters into the natural habitats of the brown tree snake. These mice corpses, once lifeless and useless, have become miracles for the people of the Pacific Island of Guam, who have feared the brown tree snakes growing population.

A mouse corpse is taken, filled with 80 milligrams of Tylenol’s generic counterpart, and shipped from the US Department of Agriculture to the Naval Base of Guam in this bizarre and controversial attempt to re-stabilize the forest lands. The lethal serpents have been creeping and crawling through forest canopies, into homes, and out of holes on Guam for long enough, the citizens have said. Scientists, in early attempts to rid the land of brown tree snakes, discovered that acetaminophen is fatal for snakes, but couldn’t figure out how to get forest snakes to ingest their poison. Scientists discovered that dead mice, filled with medicine, dropped from helicopters with streamers that are meant to latch onto tree branches, may be the answer to islander prayers.

The ecological horror that is a brown tree snake has been kept contained on Guam by means of airport traps and port traps. Although the USDA claims traps on Guam are the most effective on the planet, they have yet to prove successful in the case of brown tree snakes. With a recorded density of 20 lethal snakes per acre, the Pacific Island of Guam boasts the most snake-dense land on the planet.

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How E-Mail Hosting Affects Vacation Packages

September 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Your dream vacation seems so uncertain and so far away. All you really want to do is go to that one destination that you never thought you’d get to. However, when you feel like you can barely pay the rent it’s hard to feel like you can pay for your dream vacation. So your choices conveniently become: get broke trying to pay for a vacation well out of your price range or opt to not go on a vacation. But maybe there is a third option for you. Maybe the option is to save your money, make some savvy deals and go on the vacation you want without having to stress yourself out over it.

Start by picking your destination in an off-season. It could be a little risky but picking your destination in the summer when it’s a winter friendly time could mean a significant price reduction. Don’t think of this as a risk but rather the reward of taking a vacation that you will love when there is a significantly smaller amount of people.

Once you have targeted your place and time of year, then start saving up. This doesn’t mean to charge more of your day to day expenses on a credit card. Placing more debt on your card is a terrible way to do it. Start giving up your cable. It’s a money trap that leads nowhere.

Look on booking your trip directly through the airline. Sometimes the airlines that fly to some of the most distant locations have some of the best discounts. Booking on a travel site makes the searching easier but it doesn’t make it any more affordable. Just like with e-mail hosting, you have to know where to look for the best deals. This will make all the saving you are doing worthwhile when you are taking the vacation of a lifetime.

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Easter Island

August 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Easter Island is located in the southeast portion of the Pacific Ocean. It is considered to be a part of the Polynesian Islands, and is home to a world famous group of 887 statues. Its name comes from Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutch explorer who first recorded encountering the island on Easter Sunday in 1722. The island is very isolated from the other Pacific Islands and is located west of Chile. It stays very moderate in weather, with the highest temperatures reaching about 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and the lowest temperatures at about 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The island also receives year round rainfall, especially in April which is the wettest month. There are three main volcanoes on Easter Island: Terevaka, Poike, and Rano Kau, but all have been dormant since the last eruption over 100,000 years ago. The island has a long and rich history, involving war, famine, slavery, destruction of the rain forests, and a severe decline in population. The statues (called moai) are a commonly visited landmark, and are often by what Easter Island is known.

This island has a very religious and sacred heritage, so guests who visit often enjoy experiencing this part of the history. The statues are often called the “Heads of Easter Island” but upon closer inspection, many of them are actually full bodies who are kneeling. The island is very unique and often considered to be mysterious since much of the history is unclear, especially how the numerous statues got there, who created them, and what their exact purpose serves. However, many visitors enjoy trips to this far-away island every year, and there are many activities available on the island, including shopping for handmade crafts and artifacts, hiking among the volcanoes, learning more about the makeup of the island through archaeology and scenery, swimming, and visiting the statues.

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