Development assistance in Solomon Islands
Pillar 1 – Health Security in Solomon Islands
Overview
This page provides an overview of how Australia is working in partnership against the Health Security pillar of Partnerships for Recovery. It outlines key related initiatives and summaries of programming and related documents.
As Solomon Islands' largest development partner in the health sector, Australia will support a renewed focus on funding for, and policy dialogue regarding, broader health system priorities. Australia is committed to working closely with Solomon Islands to secure early and equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine and, through the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security, will extend support to Pacific health ministries – including Solomon Islands' – in the areas of infection prevention and control, training for field epidemiology, vector control and surveillance, and the deployment of health security technical resources, as required.
Australia will provide critical support for better Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services, including in health care settings, through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership and global partnerships. Climate change can compound health challenges through increased risk of disease, disaster injury and psychosocial issues. Health systems strengthening will incorporate climate change and disaster resilience measures.
Health Sector Support Program – Phase 3
Up to $99 million, 2016-2021
Australia's Health Sector Support Program (HSSP3) is a five-year, $99 million initiative to support the Solomon Islands Government to deliver health services across the country that meet the needs of communities. Guided by the National Health Strategic Plan and its priorities, HSSP3 funds malaria and other disease control, maternal and child health activities, essential medicine supply as well as access to clean water, basic sanitation and hygiene awareness. Through targeted financing and advisory assistance, HSSP3 is helping increase management capacity and the financial sustainability of the public health system. A key aspect to HSSP3 is funding linked to the achievement of performance benchmarks, which provides strong financial incentives for better health outcomes and health system management. In 2020, HSSP3's established budget support mechanism enabled Australia to quickly pivot support to the Australian Government's efforts in COVID-19 preparedness and response activities, through existing and additional funding. This included the upgrade of the molecular laboratory, and procurement of equipment and consumables to enable in-country COVID-19 testing, and the transfer of COVID-19 grants to all provincial health services.
Consultations with the Solomon Islands Government on the next phase of Australian engagement in the health sector have commenced.
Related documents
Education Sector Support Program
Up to $64 million, 2020-2023
The Education Sector Support Program is a four-year $64 million ($41.5 million Australian contribution) initiative supporting the Solomon Islands Government to implement its Education Strategic Framework 2016-2030, and National Education Action Plan. The program is delivered in partnership with the Solomon Islands Government and jointly funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. The Program's goal is to improve the quality of basic education which is accessible to all Solomon Islands children. Support is provided through direct budget support to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, technical advisers and grants to non-government organisations (NGOs). The program is also supporting the Ministry's Learning Continuity plan to provide learning material and improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to schools across Solomon Islands during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related documents
Addressing Gender Equality
Through Pacific Women (2012-22) Australia has committed $34.8 million over ten years to advance gender equality and support women's empowerment in Solomon Islands.
The Solomon Islands Gender Equality program ($4 million per annum) works with the government, international and local NGOs and the private sector to improve the political, economic and social opportunities of Solomon Islands women and girls to end violence against women and girls. The program aims to reduce violence against women and girls and ensure:
- survivors of violence have access to support services and to justice
- women have expanded economic opportunities to earn an income and accumulate economic assets
- women, and women's interests are increasingly and effectively represented and visible through leadership at all levels of decision-making, and
- women have a stronger sense of their own agency, supported by a changing legal and social environment and through increased access to the services they need.
The program works in partnership with the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family affairs to support institutional strengthening, it provides funding and support to targeted service providers and violence prevention activities including supporting the national rollout of the SAFENET Response and Referral Network. Over the next two years the program will continue to focus on eliminating violence against women and girls (EVAWG) and expand activities focused on women economic empowerment to address the impact of COVID-19 on women and increase support to women's organisations.
Consultations with the Solomon Islands Government on the next phase of Australian engagement on Addressing Gender Equality will be undertaken in early 2022.