FSM Leaders endorse the outcome of the 2014 FSM Health Summit

A new milestone for the health sector in the FSM was reached on August 20, 2014 when the FSM Leadership endorsed the recommendations from the 2014 Health Summit.  The 2014 Health Summit was attended by about 200 participants from all sectors in the FSM, key stakeholders and partners.

The first two days of the Summit (August 18-19) were dedicated to technical discussions and presentations focusing on key health areas.  At the end of the second day, the technical groups presented the outcomes of their discussions and were framed into recommendation for the Leadership to endorse.

The recommendations were translated into a strategic plan called Framework for Sustainable Health Development in the Federated States of Micronesia: 2014-2024 , which was presented during a brief ceremony on August 20, 2014 by the Secretary of the FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs (Dr. Vita Skilling) and the Health Directors from the FSM States or their designees (Mr. Paulino Rosario – Pohnpei, Mr. Resty Shotaro – Chuuk, Mr. Kun Mongkeya – Kosrae, and Mr. Dominic Taruwemai – Yap).  In his 2014 Health Summit address, which was delivered by Chief of Staff Leo Falcam Jr., the President underscored the need to control cost of health care by improving the local health infrastructure and build local diagnostic capacity.  As a way forward, the President also highlighted the need for the entire health systems to focus more on prevention.  Present at the ceremony were the Chief of Staff on behalf of HE President Manny Mori, Members of the President’s Cabinet, Honorable Governor John Ehsa, Honorable Governor Johnson Elimo, health directors or their designees,  and members of the diplomatic corp.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Governors or their designees from all the FSM States and the President of the FSM accepted and endorsed the Framework in the form of a signed “communique”.

The development of the Framework was guided by the following principles:

• That health is a human right;
• That health is integral to national development;
• That health requires sustainable resources and financing;
• That health requires effective leadership and governance; and
• That health requires multi-sector approaches and partnerships.

The vision of the Framework is to ensure that people and communities are healthy and have universal access to quality health services while the mission is to promote and protect health and well-being of island communities in the FSM. This Framework builds on the principles outlined in the national and state constitutions, each of which affirms the right to healthcare for all citizens.

The Framework contains six (6) strategic focus or priority areas: (1) health leadership and governance, (2) primary health care, (3) health financing, (4) health information and surveillance, (5) health through the life course, and (6) social and environmental determinants of health.

Technical support for the 2014 Health Summit was provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) Suva Office through Dr. Ezekiel Nukuro and Dr. Sevil Huseynova, Mr. Richard Moufa, and Ms. Carla Hegwood (Intern) from the WHO Country Liaison Office (CLO) for the Northern Micronesia based in Pohnpei, FSM.