When silence is a Pacific response

Stronger outbreak responses in the Pacific start with locally embedded knowledge

In June 2025, health workers in Tafea Province, Vanuatu, reported a cluster of severe respiratory illness among infants. Laboratory testing later confirmed Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium that causes pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The cluster became part of a prolonged outbreak across Tafea and Shefa provinces that continued until it was officially declared over in July 2026, prompting a sustained Ministry of Health response. Whoop…

When silence is a Pacific response

NUCLEAR capable Chinese ballistic missile, launched from a nuclear-powered submarine in July, arced over several Pacific nations and landed without warning in waters close to Tuvalu’s exclusive economic zone. The post When silence is a Pacific response appeared first on Islands Business.