Pacific Health Conference
Location
South Pacific Resort
Hosted by
About
Across many Pacific communities, preventable health problems are increasingly influenced by factors beyond the health sector. Changes in food environments, physical activity patterns, urban development, employment, education, housing and access to essential services can affect health behaviours and long-term wellbeing. Addressing these factors requires coordinated prevention efforts that begin within communities and extend across schools, workplaces, households and local environments.
The summit will focus on prevention before illness occurs, with particular attention to creating conditions that make healthy choices more accessible and sustainable for individuals, families and communities.
Purpose:
The summit aims to promote a broader understanding of public health prevention and explore practical approaches to creating healthier Pacific environments. It will encourage participants to consider how policies, community programmes and everyday settings can be improved to reduce preventable illness and enhance quality of life.
Rather than focusing primarily on treatment, the summit will examine opportunities to address the underlying factors that influence population health throughout the life course.
2026 Theme
“Prevention Starts Where We Live: Creating Healthier Pacific Communities”
The theme highlights the importance of the places where people live, learn, work and interact. Healthy communities are influenced by access to nutritious food, opportunities for physical activity, supportive social networks, safe environments and policies that promote wellbeing.
Main Focus Areas
The summit will explore:
Healthy food environments: Improving access to affordable, nutritious and locally available foods.
Active communities: Encouraging physical activity through schools, workplaces, neighbourhoods and community initiatives.
Prevention across the life course: Promoting healthy development from childhood through older age.
Health literacy: Strengthening people's ability to understand health information and make informed decisions.
Schools and youth wellbeing: Examining the role of education settings in establishing lifelong health behaviours.
Workplace health: Developing healthier working environments and supporting employee wellbeing.
Community mental wellbeing: Addressing social connection, resilience, stress and community support.
Environmental health: Considering sanitation, waste management, housing and the built environment.
Gender and health: Exploring how gender roles and social expectations can affect access to health opportunities and preventive services.
Community action: Highlighting locally developed initiatives that encourage healthier lifestyles and stronger social connections.
The summit will aim to:
Increase awareness of the social and environmental factors contributing to preventable health problems.
Promote practical approaches to health promotion within everyday community settings.
Encourage stronger partnerships between the health, education, food, environmental and social sectors.
Identify barriers that prevent communities from adopting healthier behaviours.
Share successful prevention initiatives that can be adapted to different Pacific communities.
Encourage greater involvement of young people and community members in public health planning.
Develop practical recommendations for strengthening health promotion and disease prevention.
Programme
The programme will include expert presentations, community discussions, practical workshops, interactive activities and policy sessions. Participants will have opportunities to examine real-world prevention challenges and develop potential solutions through collaborative activities.
A Community Solutions Showcase will provide an opportunity for schools, community groups, youth organisations and local initiatives to present projects focused on nutrition, physical activity, mental wellbeing and healthier environments.
The summit will conclude with a Prevention Action Session, where participants will identify practical priorities for strengthening health promotion and prevention within their communities.
Expected Outcomes
The summit is expected to increase awareness of the broader determinants of health and encourage greater investment in prevention. It will promote collaboration across sectors and support the development of community-centred approaches that make healthier choices easier and more accessible.
The central message of the summit is that public health begins long before people enter a health facility. By creating healthier homes, schools, workplaces and communities, Pacific populations can be supported to achieve better wellbeing and reduce the burden of preventable disease.