Options and Choices in Relation to Adopting Healthy Lifestyles in the Pacific Islands Region

Abstract

The low-lying atoll states of the Pacific region, including Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, face numerous challenges as a result of climate change and the related rise in sea level. A health transition from communicable to noncommunicable lifestyle-related diseases among these communities is placing a significant burden on medical services and broader welfare provision. This article considers the broad range of both internal and external factors that influence the options available and choices made in relation to being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle in these communities.