Pacific News Briefs

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The dengue fever outbreak in Samoa has claimed the life of a second child.

The Sāmoa Observer reports Faith Melchior, 8, died in hospital on Monday night.

She is the second child to die from dengue in Samoa this year — 12-year-old Misiafa Lene died in April.

Fiji, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tonga, French Polynesia and American Samoa have also declared outbreaks.

Tuvalu and Nauru are on alert for the disease.

(RNZ Pacific)

VAX BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

The Pacific Community has recently reported that mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever, are rising sharply throughout the various island nations in the Western Pacific Region.

As of July 16, 2025, the SPC reported American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu had confirmed dengue cases in 2025.

Of note, the American Samoa Department of Health declared the dengue outbreak in the country a public health emergency as of early July. A red alert for DENV-1 and DENV-2 serotypes has been added.

To alert international travelers of this serious health risk, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reissued its Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Advisory on July 17, 2025.

For 16 countries, the CDC recommends that travelers visiting dengue outbreaks should prevent mosquito bites by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and sleeping in an air-conditioned room or a room with window screens.

While many of these countries offer access to dengue vaccines, the United States does not, except for children in Puerto Rico, where dengue has become endemic.

(CDC)

BIRTH CERTIFICATE UPDATE

On June 3, 2025, Puerto Rico’s federal district court ruled that nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people may update their birth certificates with ‘X’. This is the result of a group of six nonbinary people who filed a lawsuit against Puerto Rico’s governor, its health secretary, and other officials. 

President of Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ Federation, Pedro Julio Serrano, called the ruling “a historic one that upholds equality.” 

“At a time when nonbinary, gender nonconforming and trans communities are under attack, this historic decision opens the door to the full recognition of their dignity,” stated Serrano.

One of the Puerto Ricans who fought for this was Ínaru Nadia de la Fuente Díaz. They stated it “represents a respite from so much repression… It’s an unexpected victory.”

Even though there is celebration for this moment, it is not that simple. Governor Jenniffer González-Colón informed reporters of her next steps. She stated that she is “currently awaiting recommendations from Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice regarding the ruling.”

(Pasquines)

PACIFIC TRADE

A meeting of trade ministers from the Pacific Island Forum's African, Caribbean and Pacific States is underway in Suva.

New Zealand's Nicola Grigg said it is a timely opportunity to discuss the importance of the rules-based trading system, with the World Trade Organisation at its core.

She said the structure is vital for small Pacific island nations, including New Zealand.

(RNZ Pacific)

VANUATU CABLE

France is committing around US$20 million to new undersea technology linking Vanuatu and New Caledonia, which will better prepare the Pacific for natural disasters.

SMART will be the world's first Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications submarine cable.

French Ambassador to Vanuatu Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer said the cable will be fitted with sensors to measure sea temperature and seismic activity.

He said it will help monitor climate change and - crucially - provide early warnings for tsunamis.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that the cable is expected to be in operation sometime next year.

It will link Port Vila with Lifou Island in New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands group, traversing the seismically active New Hebrides Trench.

(RNZ Pacific)

FIJI HIV

Fiji's HIV prevention taskforce says the country's law enforcement is actively hindering public health efforts.

The United Nations reports a massive surge in HIV cases last year - numbers are up 284 percent.

Around half of all cases were caused by intravenous drug use.

Taskforce chair Dr Jason Mitchell told Pasifika TV there is a concerning lack of cooperation between the health sector and police.

(RNZ Pacific)

CNMI SCHOOLS

Schools in the Northern Marianas are bracing for a possible fiscal cliff, according to the Board of Education.

Governor Arnold Palacios is planning substantial cuts to the education budget allocation.

The government is proposing a US $40 million dollar grant but the Public School System has requested just over 49 million dollars.

Board of Education has testified that if the government's proposal is implemented they could be forced to declare a state of emergency in education.

(RNZ Pacific)