Riya Bhagwan 
While Pacific nations have introduced various food and nutrition initiatives, Dawa stressed that successful approaches remain fragmented.
One in six Pacific children under five is experiencing severe food poverty, raising urgent concerns about their long-term nutrition and health.
PNG Country Head for the Pacific School Food Network, Lazarus Dawa, highlighted this statistic at a regional workshop on school food systems in Nadi.
He adds that changing diets, a growing dependence on imported food, and the erosion of traditional farming and fishing practices are driving poor nutrition across the region.
“Adding these challenges, our children’s health and future remain at stake – one in six children under five years of age in the Pacific region have experienced severe food-child poverty.”
This lack of adequate nutrition directly fuels the rise of non-communicable diseases, which remain the leading cause of premature death in the region.
Furthermore, over 10 percent of Pacific children and adolescents are now overweight, a rate that continues to climb.
While Pacific nations have introduced various food and nutrition initiatives, Dawa stressed that successful approaches remain fragmented.
To combat this, leaders are calling for a stronger focus on teaching healthy lifestyle habits early.
The inaugural Pacific School Food Talanoa session, currently underway in Nadi, aims to unify these efforts and build a healthier future for the region’s youth.
