The Pacific Community (SPC) and Direct Relief signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will facilitate collaboration and coordination in strengthening health systems and emergency preparedness by improving disaster management, information sharing, and capacity building.
The MOU was signed during the margins of the Pacific Heads of Health Meeting and is timely as it boosts the support provided to Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) during disaster-related emergencies.
Dr Berlin Kafoa, Director of SPC’s Public Health Division, said this collaboration solidifies the importance of the Pacific regional health architecture and structured pathway to working in the health space with PICTs. “While the Pacific Health sector welcomes health partners such as Direct Relief, it is important that we align with PICT’s regional frameworks, goals and strategies and Direct Relief shares this vision with us.”
Direct Relief has worked in the Pacific previously and has mounted emergency responses to Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015, Cyclone Winston in Fiji in 2016, the volcanic eruption in Vanuatu in 2017, it supported medical teams during the 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa, it supported partners across the region during the Covid pandemic between 2020-2022, and most recently offered emergency support to Vanuatu after the 2024 earthquake in Port Vila.
Gordon Willcock, Director for Direct Relief Asia Pacific, said We welcome the opportunity to collaborate and build new long-term partnerships with hospitals and ministries of health across the Pacific. “This is in line with our mission to connect vulnerable communities with medications and medical services and to support them during disasters. We look forward to working closely with the SPC Public Health Division and other PICT partners.
About Direct Relief
Direct Relief is a U.S.-based humanitarian aid organisation that donates medicines and medical supplies. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Direct Relief’s mission is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regards to politics, religion, or ability to pay.
