Wintec on front line
The Pacific nation of Kiribati is facing a growing number of challenges.
But Wintec is there on the front line to provide help and a fresh perspective.
Along with the threats posed by climate change, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and other coronary conditions are on the increase in Kiribati.
Wintec programme manager Nick Borthwick said the Waikato team is working with James Cook University from Queensland, along with the Kiribati Institute of Technology, to try curtail the problem by improving the healthcare education curriculum in Kiribati.
‘‘Non-communicable diseases are usually caused by lifestyle factors but also changes in the kind of food season, the inability to grow fresh foods, and the reliance on imported food that’s also not of the appropriate quality,’’ Borthwick said.
That has placed a huge strain on the local healthcare system and resulted in a reduction of a person’s average life expectancy in the country.
‘‘When you combine the growing incidence of noncommunicable diseases with a population that’s getting older, plus also a growing population, you see some significant pressures.’’
Although the health system in the country is placed at high priority by the government, it still receives insufficient funding to properly resource the changing needs of the nation’s medical teams.
This mean’s Kiribati’s health and nursing education systems need to be upgraded, enabling staff to be able to deal with the rising challenges. Also, with the threat of climate change and rising waters, the Wintec contingent are aiming to upskill the healthcare workers and future-proof their careers in other countries.
Borthwick said Fiji, New Zealand and Australia are all facing shortages in nursing staff, and he saw that as an opportunity for Kiribati medical professionals who may be displaced by climate change.
‘‘With climate change and the need for populations to move there is the need to create viable career pathways for young people who leave Kiribati,’’ he said. ‘‘So we’ve reviewed the existing nursing curriculum and we’ve made some recommendations in how the education of nurses can be enhanced.’’
It is hoped Kiribati’s government will take on the curriculum this year.