The Solomon Islands government is making significant strides in strengthening its primary health care system with the appointment of its first National Director of Primary Health Care, Dr Rex Maukera.
Dr Maukera is tasked with establishing an Office of Primary Health Care as part of the government’s commitment to strengthen primary health care governance. He is drawing on recommendations from the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI) Assessment, supported by Advance UHC, to guide the development of the office and its framework.
On 28-29 November, Dr Maukera and other stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services met with development partners and the World Bank in Honiara to review the PHCPI Assessment findings and discuss strategies for building a resilient primary healthcare system. The PHCPI Assessment included a deep dive on gender, and the workshop also provided attendees with an opportunity to discuss the need for gender-responsive health programs.
"Gender sensitivity is a challenging area for us," Dr Maukera acknowledged. "Eighty percent of our population lives in rural areas, and cultural and religious sensitivities present hurdles to addressing gender issues. These are some of the challenges we must overcome."
Despite these complexities, Solomon Islands remains committed to strengthening its primary health care system and making it inclusive and responsive to the needs of all people.
"One of our key strengths is that we already have a mandated and integrated primary health care system in place under the Health Services Act," Dr Maukera explains. "The challenge now is to strengthen and expand it so that it meets the needs of all communities."