Healthy islands
A healthy island is one that is committed to and involved in a process of achieving better health and quality of life for its people, and healthier physical and social environments in the context of sustainable development.
The Yanuca Island Declaration established the concept of healthy islands as places in which: children are nurtured in body and mind; environments invite learning and leisure; people work and age with dignity; ecological balance is a source of pride; and the ocean – which sustains us – is protected. The description of healthy islands brings together human health and environmental health, placing significant emphasis on ecological balance and sustainable oceans. These original principles are substantially expanded in the United Nations Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, which provides a comprehensive and integrated approach to achievement of the sustainable development goals.
The SAMOA Pathway advocates for comprehensive, whole-of-government, multi-sectoral policies and strategies for the prevention and management of diseases, including through the strengthening of health systems, the promotion of effective universal health coverage implementation, health education and public awareness.
As defined in the World Health Organisation "Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021"
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[edit] External links
The Yanuca Island Declaration on health in Pacific island countries and territories. Manila: World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific; 1995 (https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/208257/PHMM_ declaration_2015_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y, accessed 8 July 2021).
The first 20 years of the journey towards the vision of healthy islands in the Pacific. Manila: World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific; 2015 (https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/208201/9789290617150_eng.pdf, accessed 8 July 2021).
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway. New York: United Nations; 2014 (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/samoapathway.html, accessed 8 July 2021).
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