Dr. Park assesses Healthy Islands Recognition project at COM-FSM, Chuuk by WHO

COM-FSM, Chuuk Campus Cooperative Research Extension staff with Dr. Park

 

FSMIS (July 5, 2013): In the week of June 24 to 28, 2013 an internationally prominent Public Health figure, Dr. No-Yai Park from the Republic of Korea, visited Chuuk on a mission from the World Health Organization (WHO). The main purpose of this visit was to assess the WHO funded project: Healthy Islands Recognition program, “Adopt-a-Community Approach for a Clean and Healthy Chuuk”, which was awarded in a grant to the College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM), Chuuk Campus Cooperative Research Extension (CRE) program.

The Healthy Islands Recognition award was awarded to the COM-FSM CRE program during the 9^th meeting of the Ministers of Health of the Pacific Island countries in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 2011.  The project aimed at boosting community wide awareness of the benefits of responsible solid waste management and sustaining the adoption of proper solid waste management through the participation of government and non-government agencies with mandates for environmental conservation, food security and health.

The Healthy Island Initiative award is given in recognition of outstanding innovative works that progress the initiative’s agenda. The initiative dictates that healthy islands should be places where: children are nurtured in body and mind; environments invite learning and leisure; people work and age with dignity; ecological balance is a source of pride.

This year has been the second year of assessment by WHO and Dr. Park on the Chuuk Healthy Island project.

In her assessment, Dr. Park acknowledged that progress had been made in a short period of time and called for greater stakeholders' sustained participation, especially through mothers and primary school children.

Dr. No-Yai Park has helped improve community health centers, particularly in maternal health and child-care nursing in her country and many others. Revered in the Republic of Korea as the “mother of public health”, she also designed a field management training programme to improve the theoretical and practical expertise of medical personnel in public health centers, as well as a community health level survey system that enables communities to collect statistical information, diagnose their needs and establish health-care plans according to local priorities. She is the recent recipient for the Sasakawa Health Prize which is awarded to outstanding work in health development.

Dr. Park with Chuuk Women Council and CRE staff

 Dr. Park also visited the Chuuk Department of Health Services and its Division of Public Health, the Governor’s Office, the Weno Mayor’s Office, the Chuuk Women Council, the Chuuk Environmental Protection Agency, the Weno Dumping site and a home gardening site in Tunnuk village. 

For further information, please contact Mr. Richard Moufa at 320-2619 or email fsmpio@mail.fm.