Department of Health

Director of Health, Mrs Silivia Tavite

Tokelau Health Department provides healthcare services and is responsible for resourcing promotion, prevention, preservation and sustainability of the health of Tokelauan people.

The health of the population has over a generation worsened to the point that Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) has become an urgent priority that needs to be addressed. . Other health issues such as Communicable Diseases, Mental Health, Reproductive Health, Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Child Health have been woven into the overall population health approach we are pursuing and  planning for over the next 5 years.

The population health approaches in the THSP 2009-2015 & TNSP planned for the next five years will help arrest the worsening health status of Tokelauan people

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Steps Survey (2005) provided the baseline regarding NCDs for the Department of Health, Government of Tokelau and population to address.
 
There are also a number of Global and Regional Health strategies that Tokelau is recommended to incorporate into the planning process1 alongside a number of other key funded health strategies related to population health.

One such strategy is the ‘Pacific Framework for the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases’
 
Tokelau has a draft NCD Plan (2008) which has provided the basis for planning and implementation of actions incorporating the recommendations from the Step Survey.

The Department of Health’s draft Strategic plan has 4 key goals:

1. Protect the health of our population
2. Protect our environment
3. Develop an Efficient and Effective health system
4. Develop our Workforce

The objectives we will use to achieve a healthy population are:

1. Improve service delivery through improved Primary Care
2. Improve the health of our population through Public Health programmes.
3. Minimize the incidence and onset of chronic disease
4. Keep our youth safe
5. Improve outcomes associated with chronic disease
6. Build relationships internally and externally, that will enhance commitment to
7. Tokelau
8. Promote awareness of Public Health
9. Enable Taupulega/Village/Nuku and families to make informed lifestyle decisions
10. Promote environmental safety
11. Improve food security, sanitation, water and waste hygiene

Addressing the four key goals means we will be addressing public health issues, strengthening our health system so that we can provide good safe primary care.
 

Key Critical success factors are:

1.     Tokelau & Donor agency resourcing
2.     Engagement by Taupulega & Villages
3.     Participation by Communities

We aim to integrate the principles of sustainable development into policy and programmes and work with Department of Economic Development, Natural Resources and Environment to also ensure the health issues associated with such developments are interwoven. Protecting our environment and ensuring robust inter departmental/inter atoll planning regarding climate change and natural disasters are incorporated for national outcomes.

Workforce is key to delivery of the THSP and the Department is committed to developing a workforce that meets the needs of the current and future population.
A number of actions with measurable outcomes supported by a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework have been developed for the next five years in each of the key goal areas.  These actions will require a whole of Government and Whole of Community approach for Family Centred outcomes that will encourage ownership, choice and change by each of the communities across the country.

The indicators and targets identify the high level outcomes the department intends to achieve and is closely linked with the Tokelau Health Strategic Plan (2009 - 2010) and Donor agency strategic funded outcomes.

The Department of Health – Tokelau wishes to provide the following advice to all travellers to Tokelau: