Suchergebnisse

The heavy burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia overwhelms the resources of this small population. Traditional cultural practices strongly influence all aspects of life, especially in the remote outer islands. The traditional Chiefs must grant permission to perform any type of health outreach or services for about one-third of the population. One key cultural practice promotes tobacco and alcohol use. The Yap Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, in collaboration with other entities in public health, systematically engaged the traditional Chiefs, resulting in a landmark policy that paved the way for other system and environmental interventions to reduce the risks of developing NCD.

The United States Affiliated Pacific Island Jurisdictions (USAPIJ) are politically associated to the United States (US) as US Territories (Guam, American Samoa), a US Commonwealth (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), and as sovereign nations linked to the US through Compacts of Free Association [Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Republic of Palau (ROP)]. Cervical cancer incidence in the RMI is the highest in the world, mammography services are not available in the FSM and only Guam has on-island oncology services. Cancer risk factors such as obesity, tobacco, and Hepatitis B are prevalent. Twelve years of nuclear testing in the RMI adds to the cancer burden. A community-based, multi-national coalition with multi-system external partners the Pacific Regional Cancer Control Partnership (PRCP) was developed to address cancer prevention and control in the USAPIJ. Through the PRCP, local cancer coalitions, a regional cancer registry, 12 years of regional cancer control plans, and cancer prevention programs and research has been implemented.