Oceania Football Commission Mascot Handover Ceremony, Ba, Fiji

Congratulations to the students of D.A.V Primary in Ba, Fiji.

As winners of the OFC Mascot competition, which was run through the OFC Just Play Programme, in conjunction with partners UNICEF and the Australian Sports Commission - students of D.A.V Primary in Ba were handed a desk top computer last Friday by UNICEF Pacific Representative, Dr. Karen Allen.

UNICEF Donates Medical Supplies to National Medical Store

Vimal Pillay UNICEF Supply Assistant off loading medical
supplies to National Medical Store workers.
© UNICEF Pacific/2014

Since the 4th of April flash flooding in Solomon Islands, Honiara has been hectic. Government ministries, United Nations, non-government organizations, private sector, schools, hospitals, clinics and communities have all switched on their emergency mode and put everything else aside to provide safe water, food, shelter, basic sanitation and hygiene facilities to thousands of flood victims. School staff and students and communities have pitched in to clean up so that children could get back to school, and families are trying to rebuild damaged businesses and homes.

A Strong Offense is the Best Defence Against Dengue

 OFC Champions league match 

© UNICEF Pacific/2014/Melissa Palombi

Joining forces to help celebrate World Health Day, the Oceania Football Confederation, Fiji Football Association, the Ministry of Health Fiji and UNICEF Pacific link sport and dengue to support the Kick Dengue Out campaign at the OFC Champions League tournament.

Five Questions with Karen Allen, UNICEF Pacific Representative

The Kiribati Family Health Association youth group with Karen Allen 
UNICEF Pacific Representative and UNICEF Colleague 
© UNICEF Pacific/2013/Teannaki

Breast is best: maternal and child health in Vanuatu.

By Karen Allen, UNICEF Pacific Representative

Karen Allen with two mothers at the Tanna Health Clinic
© UNICEF Pacific/2013/Allen

5:30 am start this morning from Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, for a 6:00 am flight on a 20 seat Harbin Y12 Propeller to Tanna. There is the usual friendly bustle of passengers taping and tying up their luggage bundles, and asking other passengers to carry some of their overweight pieces. A Canadian doctor who rushed over last night with a medical evacuation case begs for a seat to return so she can do her dispensary visits today. We stand by to carry some medical supplies in case she cannot get on, but at the last minutes she does. I love the peace and beauty of flying over the vast expanse of Pacific Ocean, but I reflect on the difficulties of bringing health and social services to such a widely distributed population. Vanuatu is "only" 83 islands; the distance between the two outermost islands is 1300 kilometres.