The United States has special relationships with six areas in
the Pacific — American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the
Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The
total population of these jurisdictions is approximately 480,000
people, spread across the ocean covering an area larger than the
continental United States.
All of the U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions share some challenges related to health care. Similar to many other rural areas, they struggle with
maintaining an adequate health workforce. They also face difficulties
in financing health care, and some spend a large portion of
their health care budgets transporting patients off-island to
receive care that is not available locally. The jurisdictions
must address both the health concerns of developing nations in
treating malnutrition and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis,
as well as the chronic health problems faced by developed nations,
such as diabetes and cancer.
Three of these jursidictions,
one commonwealth and two territories, are part of the United States:
Residents of these 3 jurisdictions tend to have better health and
socio-economic status than those living in the 3 jursidictions
that are not part of the U.S.
The other three jursidictions are independent nations that have special
relationships with the U.S. through a treaty, the Compact
of Free Association. These countries were formerly
part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, administered
by the United States.
The United States provides assistance to these nations for health
services through the Compacts and also through discretionary
grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Sources:
Pacific
Partnerships for Health: Charting a New Course
U.S.
Affiliated Pacific Basin Jurisdictions: Legal, Geographic and
Demographic Information
Organizations
Administration for Children and Families: Region 9 (ACF)
Federal government
Dedicated to promoting and enhancing the economic independence and social well-being of children, families, individuals, and communities. ACF Region 9 serves Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Hawaii and Pacific Basin Area Health Education Centers
State/regional organization
Works to improve the health of the underserved in Hawaii and the Pacific Basin through training and supporting health professions students and health care providers to serve rural and underserved areas.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region (NN/LM-PSR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among libraries and information centers that serve health information needs in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the U.S.-Associated Pacific Basin.
Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (PAETC)
State/regional organization
Provides AIDS-related training, education and information services to health care providers. Serves California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the six U.S.-affiliated Pacific jurisdictions.
Pacific Basin Dental Association (PBDA)
International organization
Promotes good oral health in the Pacific Basin, facilitating improvements in oral health services, carrying out continuing education, improving networking among dental professionals, and strengthening surveillance.
Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA)
International organization
Serves as a unifying voice and credible authority on issues of regional public health significance in the Pacific. Represents the collective health interests of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau.
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
International organization
Works to create a secure and prosperous Pacific Community, whose people are healthy and manage their resources in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable way.
U.S. Department of the Interior: Office of Insular Affairs (OIA)
Federal government
Coordinates federal policy in the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and administers and oversees U.S. federal assistance provided to the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau under the Compacts of Free Association.
World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO-WHO)
International organization
Works together with partners from all sectors of society. WHO, in the Western Pacific, is involved in a host of closely related public health activities, including research, databanking, evaluation, awareness raising and resource mobilization. Located in Manila, the Philippines.
Tools
Asian-American Health
Web site
Lists resources available from different sponsors providing health-related information pertaining to Asian & Pacific Islander populations. Includes links to statistics, demographics, research, and organizations. Resources are freely available with the exception of Medline Plus journal articles.
Fast Stats A to Z: Health of Asian or Pacific Islander Population
Web site
Offers links to various health data involving the Asian and Pacific Islander Population. Statistics include topics of births, deaths, health status, and access to health care.
Let’s Talk Facts About Mental Health in Asian American and Pacific Islanders
Print publication
Discusses the mental health issues that Asian American and Pacific Islander youth and adults face, including domestic violence, substance abuse, and gambling. Also provided are contacts and resources for additional information.
Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities (OMHD): Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) Populations
Web site
Provides information on health issues of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs), including peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, and others.
Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN)
Web site
Provides online and hybrid courses, plus course materials and health information to health professionals in the Pacific Island countries. Supported countries include but are not limited to: Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Samoa. Distributes digital and print products to learning centers located in hospitals, community health centers, and nursing schools throughout the region. Its purpose is to improve the quality and standards of practice of health professionals through eLearning.
Regional Information for the Pacific Basin
Web site
Provides an overview of the Pacific jurisdictions, with links to resources including statistics and demographics, health publications, and health sciences libraries that serve the region.
State Offices of Minority and Multicultural Health Liaison Map
Web site
Provides contact information for state offices of minority and multicultural health through an interactive map. Includes information for the U.S. Commonwealths and Territories.
Territorial & Jurisdiction Oral Health Programs
Web site
Provides information on oral health programs in the U.S. territories and jurisdictions of the Atlantic and Pacific.
Title V Information System
Web site
Provides access to data and reports from the 59 States and Jurisdictions that receive Title V Block Grant funds from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
United States Census 2000: The Island Areas
Web site
Provides access to demographic, social and economic data for American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Around the Country: U.S. Pacific Islands Helping Hearts
Author(s): Hope Hanson
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Highlights the CDC's Pacific Emergency Health
Initiative which provides training as well as AEDs to U.S. Pacific Islanders.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Issue Spring
Date: 06 / 2006
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Health Disparities
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
Presents information on the traditional health practices and beliefs as well as the health
status of different Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) subgroups.
Date: 2003
Asian/Pacific Islanders and Cardiovascular Diseases: Statistics
Sponsoring organization: American Heart Association
Outlines the leading causes of death among Asian/Pacific Islander men and women.
Date: 2008
Brief History of the Island Areas
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
Provides a brief overview of the relationship between the U.S. and the island areas, including American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Includes maps.
Date: 2002
Health Care Quality Initiatives
Author(s): Nathan Stinson
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Addresses the health disparities and unique challenges associated with the delivery of health care and improving the health of the people in the Pacific Island Territories.
Date: 03 / 2004
Health Coverage and Access to Care Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Examines the health coverage, access to health care, and health status of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups in the United States, and finds that certain subgroups are doing worse than others in terms of health insurance coverage and access to health care.
Date: 04 / 2008
Health Disparities Among Pacific Islanders
Author(s): Neal A. Palafox, Momi Kaanoi
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of Minority Health
Provides statistics on health disparities among Pacific Islanders as well as examines their tobacco use in relation to the Healthy People 2010 objective.
Date: 06 / 2000
Pacific Basin Regional Telehealth Plan
Author(s): Maureen Fochtman, Max Palisson, Bruce Best, Arlene Cohen
Represents an assessment of the healthcare status, issues and resources in each jurisdiction. It emphasizes healthcare needs and challenges, especially those that could be addressed by implementing telehealth activities. It is also a compilation of existing telehealth projects, and an assessment of future projects from each jurisdiction; and it demonstrates the interest, capacity and commitment of healthcare professionals in the region.
Date: 10 / 2002
Pacific Partnerships for Health: Charting a New Course
Sponsoring organization: Institute of Medicine
Provides an overview of health care services in the U.S.-Associated Pacific Basin and discusses the U.S. role in the region's health care delivery systems.
Date: 1998
U.S. Affiliated Pacific Basin Jurisdictions: Legal, Geographic and Demographic Information
Author(s): Cathy Wasem
Provides an overview of the geography, population, and relationship to the U.S. for the six Pacific jurisdictions: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Date: 2004
Western Pacific Country Health Information Profiles
Sponsoring organization: World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office
Provides country profiles and health databanks for the countries and areas of the WHO Western Pacific Region.
Date: 2006
Journals
Journal of Native Aging and Health
Contains peer-reviewed articles that address Native aging, health and related issues among Native Americans, Alaskan, Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders and First Nations Peoples.
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