Palau to suspend flights from Macau and Hong Kong
January 27, 2020 - Given the rapidly increasing number of confirmed 2019 Novel coronavirus (nCoV) cases in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and in Macau, the National Emergency Committee on January 27th recommended to President Tommy E. Remegnesau, Jr. to prohibit chartered flights from the People’s Republic of China and temporarily suspend all direct chartered flights from Hong Kong and Macau until further notice. Vice President Raynold Oilouch and the National Eme
New dengue cases continue into the new year in Palau
Koror- The painful and life threatening dengue virus is working overtime in Palau with the help of mosquitoes. Palau’s Ministry of Health Director of Nursing Antonnette Merur told reporters on Wednesday, "as of this morning there’s a total of six people admitted with dengue fever with two of them in critical condition." Thirty-five dengue cases have been confirmed so far in the month of December, and as of Jan. 2, two more cases were reported. In 2017, five deaths were record
What the Health: When the silence of many mutes the voice of one
Auckland, N.Z.— The news about celebrities taking their own lives last month made me think about the issues of self-harm and self-destruction in our region. To this day, the content and the title itself of Father Francis X. Hezel’s article, “Micronesia’s Hanging Spree,” still gives me chills every time I muster the courage to re-read it. The brave, albeit not uncontroversial piece, shed a necessary light on suicide being an unprecedented issue in the mid-1970s, having reache
Here’s a practical way to work out
Palau’s two-pronged program promotes fitness while clearing invasive species Koror — On one Saturday in February, dozens of Ngardmau State’s residents participated in one of the country’s most innovative civic undertakings. With sharpened knives, machetes and chainsaws the men and women of Ngardmau came out to wage a campaign against the vine known as kebeas, which has overtaken and smothered a large swath of the state forest. On the side of the Compact Road that runs inside
What the health: Skull and bones — and our bodies
Auckland, N.Z.— When you see or hear the word “toxic,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think about oil spills and hazardous waste? Or perhaps, something you saw in the news recently about chemical attacks or contaminated water sources in faraway places, or maybe hazardous toys from China? Do you think about the pesticides for rodents and other vectors that could carry harmful diseases? To most of us, living in this day and age, the words poison, toxic and to
What the health: Ensuring the health of our future
Auckland, NZ — Last month, Palau observed a national holiday devoted to youth. The government runs a bureau whose purpose is to serve the youth and their interests. Yet, something is missing. Palau's youth as a population group lacks a sense of collective identity and a common voice that argues for youth issues in the public sphere. The youth councils and semi-formal youth associations mainly focus on sporting and environmental cleanup activities but critically lack a substa
Palau Dengue Outbreak Declared Over
Palau’s Ministry of Health has declared an end to the recent dengue outbreak in Palau, which has affected at least 490 people in the island-nation. In a press statement, the ministry said since November 10, 2017, there had been no reported cases of dengue. Cases of dengue in Palau surged in November 2016 and continuously peaked over the monthly outbreak threshold until October of this year. There were also several deaths reported, especially affecting persons with pre-existi
What the Health: Cultural Competency In Health
Koror, Palau-Globalization is inevitable. It’s been in motion since the dawning of mankind’s initial migration from and to all corners of the globe and in the last century we’ve seen it more prominently than ever before. Migration and social integration have brought both benefits and disadvantages to all peoples and cultures, affecting political and economic structures. In terms of health, we see through historiography that migration and the integration of cultures within so
Palau’s Success With Universal Health Coverage
Koror — D.K said she likely would not be up and walking about today if not for her health insurance coverage through the Health Care Fund — a program run by Palau government. Four years ago, D.K had to be carried out from a small van into a wheelchair and carted off at the airport parking lot for what would be a four-hour flight to Taiwan for a surgery to remove a tumor in the 10th thoracic vertebrae — within the torso and making up the central portion of the spinal column.
Palau's Ministry of Health Ramps Up Dengue Awareness Campaign
Palau’s Ministry of Health has teamed up with the Police Academy cadets in a roadside campaign to raise awareness of the dangers posed by mosquitoes, which carry deadly diseases such as dengue fever, and zika. This latest initiative from the health ministry underscore the unabated cases of dengue fever cases seen at Belau National Hospital. There have been three deaths since the health ministry declared an outbreak of dengue fever last March. Cases of dengue fever started to
