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Pacific Health Ministers Meeting - an explainer
An introduction to the Pacific Health Ministers Meeting
President of French Polynesia Édouard Fritch addressing participants at the Pacific Health Ministers Meeting. The Government of French Polynesia hosted the meeting with secretariat support from WHO and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).
What is the Pacific Health Ministers Meeting?
The Pacific Health Ministers Meeting (PHMM) is a biennial gathering of health leaders from across the Pacific region. First convened in 1995, the PHMM was established in response to the rapidly changing social and economic conditions affecting the quality of life and health in Pacific island countries and areas.
The inaugural meeting introduced the Healthy Islands vision, which has since guided health protection and promotion efforts in the Pacific.
PHMMs provide a platform for ministers to foster strategic dialogue, review progress, share best practices, and drive collective action and political commitment to improve health outcomes across the Pacific region.
Who conducts and participates in the PHMM?
Every 2 years, the PHMM brings together health ministers and senior officials from Pacific island countries and areas in a host country agreed upon by the health ministers. The meetings are supported by a secretariat, comprising the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pacific Community (SPC).
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What are the main agenda items?
Each PHMM focuses on key health priorities identified through consultations with Pacific health ministers. The agenda items aim to address the most pressing health challenges in the Pacific and promote collective action towards a healthier, more resilient region.
Learn more about previous PHMMs.
Link with regional and global health strategies
PHMM aligns with WHO regional health strategies such as the:
- 2015 Yanuca Island Declaration
- Pacific Islands−WHO Multi-country Cooperation Strategy 2024−2029
- WHO’s vision in the Western Pacific Region: Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025−2029).
The outcomes of each PHMM contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the health-related goals contained in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, as well as the objectives of WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work 2025−2028.
Related links
2015 Yanuca Island Declaration on health in Pacific island countries and territories : Eleventh Pacific...
2015 Yanuca Island Declaration details the decisions and agreements made by the Pacific ministers of health in 2015 at the Eleventh Pacific Health Ministers...
The Pacific Islands–WHO Multi-country Cooperation Strategy 2024–2029, or MCCS, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) through a...
Weaving health for families, communities and societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025-2029): working...
This document sets out thematic priorities for WHO's work in the Western Pacific Region for the next five years to improve health and well-being, and save...