Health

Australia is working in partnership with our close friend and neighbour Timor-Leste to support its recovery from the devastating Easter weekend flooding and its impact on COVID-19 preparedness. In response to a request for assistance from the Government of Timor-Leste, our emergency relief of $7 million will support the estimated 100,000 people affected by the deluge and address critical food security needs. 

Australia is committed to supporting our region to respond to COVID-19. We will soon start sharing doses of our Australian manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine with our neighbours.

Australia is working closely with the Government of Papua New Guinea to support its COVID-19 response, deploying a second team of health and medical specialists.

The COVAX Facility has started rolling out the first round of doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to Australia’s Pacific and Southeast Asian neighbours.

Tropical Cyclone Yasa made landfall on Fiji's main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu as a Category 5 cyclone on 17 December 2020.

Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women co-convened, with Fijian Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Mereseini Vuniwaqa, a third meeting of Pacific women leaders to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on women and girls in our region.