Minister of Health Country Resources General Health Strategies and Plans Palau 1 January 2015 Policy document

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Sustainable development requires healthy people. Today, the greatest threats to the health of Palau’s people, and therefore, to Palau’s sustainable development, are non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Currently, NCDs cause over 70% of deaths, and have lowered Palauan’s life expectancy. Heart disease, stroke and cancer claim the most number of lives among working age people. Without action, premature death, productivity losses and the high cost of health care due to NCDs will erode gains in health and socio-economic progress.

Evidence-based cost-effective interventions to counter NCDs exist. These interventions encompass policy and environmental changes, healthy lifestyle promotion, early detection and treatment of metabolic risk factors, advocacy and community outreach, and reliable data collection/surveillance (Figure 1). Palau intends to apply these interventions to the 4 behavioral risk factors – (1) tobacco use; (2) Harmful alcohol use (3) unhealthy diets (4) physical inactivity – and to the metabolic risk factors that lead to the (5) 4 major NCDs.

Comprehensive action in these 5 areas of work is necessary to halt and reduce the NCD burden.
This strategic plan of action, evolving from a diverse group of stakeholders, provides the vehicle to move Palau away from the current unhealthy situation brought on by NCDs, towards a vision of “healthy communities in a healthy Palau, with people living long, happy and purposeful lives.”

Multisectoral partnerships, political and cultural leadership and community mobilization are necessary to drive this plan into action for a healthier and richer Palau.

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