Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea. The island chain stretches for 930 miles from east to west and encompasses nearly 1,000 islands. Once a British colony, the Solomon Islands has been self-governing since 1976 and became an independent nation in 1978. It remains part of the Commonwealth Realm, and Queen Elizabeth II is the official head of state. Tensions between the government and insurgent groups has been a serious concern in recent years, leading to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), a multinational police force of about 2,000 peacekeepers, to patrol the islands.

The population is 566,800 and growing at 2.54 percent annually. The birth rate is 29.27 per 1,000 and the death rate is 3.87 per 1,000. Median age is 19.1 years. Life expectancy is 70.64 years for males and 75.81 years for females. Gross national income is $580 per person, with most people engaged in subsistence farming and fishing.

The health of Solomon Islanders is in a transition phase. Communicable diseases still comprise an important part of the disease burden, stemming in large part from limited clean water and sanitation. Morbidity is driven by acute respiratory infections, fevers, malaria, skin diseases, ear infections, yaws (a chronic, bacterial skin infection that can lead to destruction of the bones and joints), diarrhea, and conjunctivitis. Despite mosquito-eradication programs stretching back to the 1970s, malaria remains widespread, with 90,000 cases in 2004 alone. Mortality is driven by cardiovascular disease, cancers, malaria, and pneumonia.

Child mortality is 24 deaths per 1,000 for infants and 29 deaths per 1,000 for children under 5. About 13 percent of children are born with low birthweight. Immunization rates are 75 percent for polio, 72 percent for measles, and 82 percent for DPT, but these diseases are rarely seen given the isolation of the population. The total fertility rate for women is 3.78 children. Only 11 percent of women use contraception. Maternal mortality is high at 130 deaths per 100,000 live births.

There are 12 general hospitals, 29 district hospitals, 3 private hospitals, and 116 health centers spread throughout the islands. Medical personnel consists of 89 physicians, 620 nurses, 74 midwives, and 493 health workers. The islands have a school of nursing, and is currently attempting to restart its midwifery program. It is also trying to strengthen its continuing education programs for medical staff through cooperative [Page 1582]programs with institutions across the Pacific. The Ministry of Health cites financial constraints, lack of up-to-date epidemiological information, lack of supplies and equipment, lack of transport and communication between islands, and lack of management within the health workforce as the major problems in providing islanders with quality care.