With a total population of 599,000 spread out over nearly 1000 islands (WHO,2016), health indicators in the Solomon Islands are poor. Life expectancy at birth is 73 for females and 70 for males (WHO,2016), and the infant mortality rate is 20 per 1000 live births (WHO,2018). However, significant improvements in health indicators have taken place over the past 10 years.
Interplast has been providing access to plastic and reconstructive surgery services in the Solomon Islands since 1984. DFAT’s Pacific Islands Project (PIP) has provided funding to facilitate annual surgical programs since 1995. Interplast has concentrated its services at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara which provides secondary care for Honiara, Guadalcanal and neighbouring provinces, as well as some tertiary care services for the nation. A number of outreach surgical programs have also been delivered to Gizo.
Interplast are also supporting various aspects of the training of Solomon Island surgical trainees who are currently completing their education at the University of PNG and the Fiji National University.
Since 2009, Interplast has also been delivering a nurse education program in partnership with the National Referral Hospital, focused on areas including wound management, resuscitation and documentation and post-operative care. Since 2015, Interplast has also been delivering allied health mentoring programs alongside surgical programs to assist in the follow up of patients and provide hand therapy mentoring local physiotherapy staff.
In the 2019/2020 financial year, Interplast will deliver a number of activities in the Solomon Islands, including a plastic and reconstructive surgical program, as well as nurse education and allied health training activities.
For more details, keep an eye on our Upcoming Programs, or get in touch with us!