PALIKIR, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia — A delegation from the FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs headed by the Hon. Secretary Marcus Samo participated in several important health engagements with partners from the Asia-Pacific region from October 10-20, 2026.
- Sixth China-Pacific Island Countries Political Leadership Dialogue
The first stop was to attend the Sixth China-Pacific Island Countries (PIC) Political Leadership Dialogue that took place from October 9-17, 2026. This event provided leaders from PICs to discuss and seek support for important development project of interest with their counterparts from the Government of People’s Republic of China. For the FSM, the Honorable Secretary Samo was able to convey the need for a national diagnostic facility, traditional medicine, and people-centered exchanges in health and medical technology.
- The World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026
Following the Sixth China-Pacific Island Countries Political Leadership Dialogue, the Secretary and his delegation, consisted of Dr. Joanes Safolapiy and Ms. Resel Elias, attended the World Conference on Traditional Medicine 2026 in Beijing, China. Secretary Samo was invited to deliver a keynote address highlighting FSM progress in advancing traditional medicine. In his remark, Secretary Samo stated that FSM has been practicing traditional medicine all these years in an informal way. Recently, FSM has started to experience different forms of traditional medicine such as herbal treatment, fire cupping, and acupuncture through the visiting China medical teams dispatched to FSM. Secretary Samo conveyed FSM’s appreciation for the visiting medical teams and requested this opportunity to be continued with more input from the FSM’s side.
At the margin of this conference, the FSM Delegation had a bilateral meeting met with the Vice Minister of the National Department of Health and key staff. Secretary Samo reaffirmed FSM’s request for a national diagnostic facility for China’s consideration and further requested China’s support for medical training and specialized treatment of complicated medical conditions.
The FSM Delegation to the 77th Regional Committee meeting held in Manila from October 19-24, 2026, consisted of Secretary Marcus Samo, Director Dr. Bosco Buliche, Assistant Secretary Kasinda Ludwig, Dr. Joanes Sarofalpiy, Ms. Resel Elias, Ms. Shellany Saimon-Elias, Mr. Augustus Elias, and Ms. Fancelyn Perman-Solomon. Besides debating and providing FSM’s positions on the technical matters of the agenda such as tobacco, immunization, AI in health, Hypertension, the delegation held some bilateral meetings with the delegations from the Philippines, Fiji, Palau, RMI, and the Office of the WHO Regional Director.
In the bilateral meeting with the Secretary of Health from the Philippines, Dr. Edwin Mercado, Secretary Samo extended appreciation for the medical teams from the Philippines and for the Philippines-Pacific Initiative (PHIL-PAC) that supports WHO’s work in the Pacific region, particularly the small Pacific Islands that face shortage of skilled health workforce and other health challenges. Both secretaries acknowledge the importance of multilateral partnership and at the same time agreed to continue the bilateral engagement already in place and to bring such engagement to new heights for the mutual benefits of both countries.
For the bilateral meeting with the Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services from Fiji, Hon. Dr. Penioni Ravunawa, Secretary Samo thanked the Assistant Minister for its role in educating the FSM’s medical doctors and other health workforce and asked that Fiji consider accepting the medical graduates into its medical internship program. Both sides acknowledged the importance of continuing the current arrangement in medical and other health related education. Secretary Samo presented a draft MOU for Fiji to consider formalizing accepting medical graduates from the FSM into its internship program.
The meeting with Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala, the Regional Director (RD) for the Western Pacific of the World Health Organization. The meeting focused on ways for WHO to improve its support to FSM and the operation of the WHO Representative Office for the Northern Micronesia based in Pohnpei. RD Dr. Piukala assured that although WHO is going through a reform, it is understood that support to member states where public health actions take place will be held intact as a last-resort option.
The last meetings were held with delegations from the Republic of Palau and the Republic of Marshall Islands to touch base on important regional health matters that are of interest to three. It was also an opportunity for the FSM chief delegate to touch base with the two chief delegates on invitation the FSM sent to them to participate in the upcoming Christmas holiday high school basketball tournament the FSM is hosting this Christmas 2026.
