Island Territories Research Articles

Estimating the duration of antibody positivity and likely time of Leptospira infection using data from a cross-sectional serological study in Fiji.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease prevalent throughout the world, but with particularly high burden in Oceania (including the Pacific Island Countries and Territories). Leptospirosis is endemic in Fiji, with outbreaks often occurring following heavy rainfall and flooding. As a result of non-specific clinical manifestation and diagnostic challenges, cases are often misdiagnosed or under-ascertained. Furthermore, little is known about the duration of persistence of antibodies to leptospirosis, which has important clinical and epidemiological implications. Using the results from a serosurvey conducted in Fiji in 2013, we fitted serocatalytic models to estimate the duration of antibody positivity and the force of infection (FOI, the rate at which susceptible individuals acquire infection or seroconversion), whilst accounting for seroreversion. Additionally, we estimated the most likely timing of infection. Using the reverse catalytic model, we estimated the duration of antibody persistence to be 8.33 years (4.76-12.50; assuming constant FOI) and 7.25 years (3.36-11.36; assuming time-varying FOI), which is longer than previous estimates. Using population age-structured seroprevalence data alone, we were not able to distinguish between these two models. However, by bringing in additional longitudinal data on antibody kinetics we were able to estimate the most likely time of infection, lending support to the time-varying FOI model. We found that most individuals who were antibody-positive in the 2013 serosurvey were likely to have been infected within the previous two years, and this finding is consistent with surveillance data showing high numbers of cases reported in 2012 and 2013. This is the first study to use serocatalytic models to estimate the FOI and seroreversion rate for Leptospira infection. As well as providing an estimate for the duration of antibody positivity, we also present a novel method to estimate the most likely time of infection from seroprevalence data. These approaches can allow for richer, longitudinal information to be inferred from cross-sectional studies, and could be applied to other endemic diseases where antibody waning occurs.

Introduction to the Special Issue—Policing in Pacific Island Countries and Territories: Navigating Culture, Context, and Organizational Terrain

Introduction to the Special Issue—Policing in Pacific Island Countries and Territories: Navigating Culture, Context, and Organizational Terrain

THE SATISFACTION OF TODDLER’S MOTHER TOWARD THE USE OF THE E-POSYANDU KESEHATAN (E-POK) APPLICATION IN ISLAND TERRITORY

COVID-19 has been declared as a global pandemic by WHO (World Health Organization). The government has regulated several important points regarding to the routine services, including the elimination of services for toddlers at posyandu where monitoring is carried out independently at home using the KIA handbook by the mother or family. This causes the lower participation of toddler’s mothers to visit posyandu in the island territory. The researchers are interested in designing an application that can be used as an alternative way to monitor the growth and development of toddlers for those who cannot attend at posyandu either because of the COVID-19 pandemic or the limited access. This study aims to determine the satisfaction of using Android-based e-Posyandu Kesehatan (e-PoK) application as an alternative posyandu in the island territory. This study used a quasi-experimental design with one-group posttest-only design. A total of 138 respondents were taken by proportional stratified random sampling. The data obtained were analyzed univariately. Based on the results of the study, the category of respondents' satisfaction with the ePoK application was mostly satisfied category (92.75%). Based on these results, it is expected that toddlers’ mothers can utilize the advantage of e-PoK application to monitor the growth and development of their toddlers as an alternative way to do posyandu.

Human Seroprevalence for Dengue, Ross River, and Barmah Forest viruses in Australia and the Pacific: A systematic review spanning seven decades.

BackgroundDengue (DENV), Ross River (RRV) and Barmah Forest viruses (BFV) are the most common human arboviral infections in Australia and the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) and are associated with debilitating symptoms. All are nationally notifiable in Australia, but routine surveillance is limited to a few locations in the PICTs. Understanding the level of human exposure to these viruses can inform disease management and mitigation strategies. To assess the historic and current seroprevalence of DENV, RRV and BFV in Australia and the PICTs we conducted a systematic literature review of all published quantitative serosurveys.Methodology and principal findingsThe Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses procedures were adopted to produce a protocol to systematically search for published studies reporting the seroprevalence of DENV, RRV and BFV in Australia and the PICTs. Data for author, research year, location, study population, serosurvey methods and positive tests were extracted. A total of 41 papers, reporting 78 serosurveys of DENV, RRV and BFV including 62,327 samples met the inclusion criteria for this review. Seroprevalence varied depending on the assay used, strategy of sample collection and location of the study population. Significant differences were observed in reported seropositivity depending on the sample collection strategy with clinically targeted sampling reporting the highest seroprevalence across all three viruses. Non-stratified seroprevalence showed wide ranges in reported positivity with DENV 0.0% – 95.6%, RRV 0.0% – 100.0%, and BFV 0.3% – 12.5%. We discuss some of the causes of variation including serological methods used, selection bias in sample collection including clinical or environmental associations, and location of study site. We consider the extent to which serosurveys reflect the epidemiology of the viruses and provide broad recommendations regarding the conduct and reporting of arbovirus serosurveys.Conclusions and significanceHuman serosurveys provide important information on the extent of human exposure to arboviruses across: (1) time, (2) place, and (3) person (e.g., age, gender, clinical presentation etc). Interpreting results obtained at these scales has the potential to inform us about transmission cycles, improve diagnostic surveillance, and mitigate future outbreaks. Future research should streamline methods and reduce bias to allow a better understanding of the burden of these diseases and the factors associated with seroprevalence. Greater consideration should be given to the interpretation of seroprevalence in studies, and increased rigour applied in linking seroprevalence to transmission dynamics.

Ocean Futures for the World’s Largest Yellowfin Tuna Population Under the Combined Effects of Ocean Warming and Acidification

The impacts of climate change are expected to have profound effects on the fisheries of the Pacific Ocean, including its tuna fisheries, the largest globally. This study examined the combined effects of climate change on the yellowfin tuna population using the ecosystem model SEAPODYM. Yellowfin tuna fisheries in the Pacific contribute significantly to the economies and food security of Pacific Island Countries and Territories and Oceania. We use an ensemble of earth climate models to project yellowfin populations under a high greenhouse gas emissions (IPCC RCP8.5) scenario, which includes, the combined effects of a warming ocean, increasing acidification and changing ocean chemistry. Our results suggest that the acidification impact will be smaller in comparison to the ocean warming impact, even in the most extreme ensemble member scenario explored, but will have additional influences on yellowfin tuna population dynamics. An eastward shift in the distribution of yellowfin tuna was observed in the projections in the model ensemble in the absence of explicitly accounting for changes in acidification. The extent of this shift did not substantially differ when the three-acidification induced larval mortality scenarios were included in the ensemble; however, acidification was projected to weaken the magnitude of the increase in abundance in the eastern Pacific. Together with intensive fishing, these potential changes are likely to challenge the global fishing industry as well as the economies and food systems of many small Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The modelling framework applied in this study provides a tool for evaluating such effects and informing policy development.

Representing and evaluating the travel motivations of Pacific islanders

AbstractThe mobility patterns and travel motivations of Pacific Islanders have largely been neglected by discourses and discussions on Asia‐Pacific tourism. To examine the travel preferences and travel motivations of Pacific Islanders, we administered surveys (n = 1100) across the five Pacific Island States and Territories of Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and Solomon Islands. The research offers a comparative analysis across national boundaries by highlighting commonalities and differences among the five groups. Family, kinship and religious dimensions stand out as shared and crucial factors influencing travel preferences and travel motivations across the region. Nonetheless, the research identified differences between the Pacific communities which can be explained with each country's level of socioeconomic development, political structure, geography, cultural context and globalisation. The study advances knowledge on the mobilities and travel motivations of non‐Western tourists by conceptualising the Pacific Islands from the perspective of a tourism‐generating region.

Food security and small holder farming in Pacific Island countries and territories: A scoping review

UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger links ending hunger to achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. The Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) is a region where such linkages can be investigated as the PICTs are confronting climate change while facing a decrease in available arable land and increasing rates of urbanisation. Around 80% of all Pacific Islanders still rely on agricultural produce from their own gardens or from small holder farmers to support or to supplement their diets. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has declared the years 2019–2028 to be the Decade of Family Farming. Food imports are increasingly common in PICTs, and can provide cheap, although not particularly nutritious foods, leading to generalised health problems. Increased reliance on imports is itself an indicator of diminishing food security, and with the PICTs facing a range of food security challenges, it is timely to assess the existing literature in the PICTs on the relationship between smallholder farming and food security. This scoping review analyses 49 peer reviewed and grey literature studies in English from 1970–2019 concerning the relationship between food security and small holder farming in the PICTs. It identifies four main themes: (1) Community adaptation, resilience and crop diversification; (2) Decreased availability of local foods and land; (3) Changes in diet; (4) Gender and agricultural production. The review shows Pacific peoples quickly adapt to changing circumstances to plant different crops both for food and for sale, and it identifies the role of small holder agriculture as crucial to: (1) growing local foods to support food security, and (2) expanding domestic asset creation to promote economic development, especially for women.

Insights into the Usefulness of a New Extreme Weather Guidance Tool: The Long-Range Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Southwest Pacific (TCO-SP)

Abstract Tropical cyclones (TCs) produce extreme winds, large waves, storm surges, intense rainfall, and flooding and account for almost 75% of natural disasters across the southwest Pacific (SWP) region. The island nations and territories across the SWP rely on seasonal TC outlooks for insights into possible risks for the coming TC season. Launched in July 2020, the Long-Range Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Southwest Pacific (TCO-SP) provides deterministic (frequency) and probabilistic (likelihood) TC outlooks for 12 subregional and island-scale locations up to 4 months (July) before the start of the SWP TC season (November–April). Following TCO-SP’s first season of operation, this study (i) outlines the process of generating and communicating TCO-SP outlooks, (ii) provides a postseason validation of TCO-SP performance on the 2020/21 SWP TC season, and (iii) reports on the results of a questionnaire used to determine end-user needs and user-perceived usefulness of TCO-SP. Postseason validation indicates that TCO-SP successfully predicted a near-normal SWP TC season. Island- and regional-scale guidance also performed well, with an average skill score of 54% across all regions. Analysis of responses to a TCO-SP questionnaire revealed a diverse and global user base that indicate the core features of TCO-SP (island-scale/regional-scale outlooks, regular monthly updates, and an outlook lead time up to 4 months before the start of the TC season) are particularly useful. TCO-SP will continue to innovate to deliver reliable and trusted TC outlooks with a goal to reduce disaster risk and increase resilience across the SWP region.

Legal Models and Methods of Western Colonisation of the South Pacific

Abstract This article addresses the legal models and methods used by the Western powers to colonise the South Pacific. It first focuses on the informal empire in the last third of the nineteenth century and up to World War I. This is the period in which control is gained by the Western powers but responsibility averted since in most cases sovereignty over the territories concerned is not yet acquired. The legal models established for gaining control – culminating notably in the creation of colonial protectorates and only later annexation – were to some extent the same as those established elsewhere in the globe. But the legal methods used by the British (for whom the Empire had become an ‘intolerable nuisance’) and to a lesser extent the United States (ideologically averse to colonisation) in order to establish initial control, stand out because of the way that each projected their municipal laws; in the case of the British with the humanitarian purpose of ending human trafficking. The second focus of this article is on the more innovative regimes used to colonise the Pacific island territories in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, more specifically those involving joint governance. The condominium emerges as a model of choice to manage disputes between the powers and its use was principally to address their geo-strategic concerns both in the region and globally. Entrenching earlier trends, a tradition of joint governance would later continue into the twentieth century with remarkable similarities to what preceded it. This article serves as a reminder of the subtle and complex ways in which the law can be instrumentalised to give effect to colonisation. It is timely given the increasing concern today over foreign interference in the South Pacific.

‘Wallis and Futuna Have Never Been a Colony’: A Non‐sovereign Island Territory Negotiating Primary Education with Metropolitan France

ABSTRACTWallis and Futuna are a French overseas collectivity in Oceania. In 1969, the French state formally ceded responsibility for the territory's primary education to the Catholic mission and reimburses related expenses. Against this backdrop, this article uses the negotiations about primary education between these two non‐sovereign island territories and their colonial metropole to explore islanders' views of the relationship. We conducted interviews with eight representatives of local institutions associated with primary education and we analyzed relevant official agreements. Our analysis suggests that, from the islanders' perspective, the negotiations with metropolitan France about policies and funding for primary education are driven by different identities located within a shared national identity. We find these identities are not merely different, but complementary in a non‐hierarchical fashion. We also find that these identities seem to be mutually constituted between metropolitans and islanders through negotiations that are often adversarial and—from the islanders' view—predicated on detailed knowledge of the history of these negotiations. In addition, the resulting education policies regularly see primary schools receiving unequal treatment in comparison to schools in metropolitan France. However, in counterweight, islanders can also succeed in giving unequal treatment to metropolitan regulations by bending them to suit local interests or values.

The Endemic Vascular Flora of Sardinia: A Dynamic Checklist with an Overview of Biogeography and Conservation Status.

The vascular flora of Sardinia has been investigated for more than 250 years, with particular attention to the endemic component due to their phylogeographic and conservation interest. However, continuous changes in the floristic composition through natural processes, anthropogenic drivers or modified taxonomical attributions require constant updating. We checked all available literature, web sources, field, and unpublished data from the authors and acknowledged external experts to compile an updated checklist of vascular plants endemic to Sardinia. Life and chorological forms as well as the conservation status of the updated taxa list were reported. Sardinia hosts 341 taxa (15% of the total native flora) endemic to the Tyrrhenian Islands and other limited continental territories; 195 of these (8% of the total native flora) are exclusive to Sardinia. Asteraceae (50 taxa) and Plumbaginaceae (42 taxa) are the most representative families, while the most frequent life forms are hemicryptophytes (118 taxa) and chamaephytes (106 taxa). The global conservation status, available for 201 taxa, indicates that most endemics are under the ‘Critically Endangered’ (25 taxa), ‘Endangered’ (31 taxa), or ‘Least Concern’ (90 taxa) IUCN categories. This research provides an updated basis for future biosystematics, taxonomic, biogeographical, and ecological studies and in supporting more integrated and efficient policy tools.

Analysis of foreign and domestic experience in organization of recreational areas landscaping in the structure of waterside territories

The article provides an analytical review of foreign and domestic experience in research and design solutions in the field of landscaping and improvement of recreational waterside and island territories. The main research directions and authors associated with them are listed. The main problems that violate the integrity of recreational space in waterside territories have been identified. The optimal conditions for recreation at such bodies have been identified. The main patterns of creation, landscaping and improvement of waterside and island territories are determined with fundamental conclusions, both in the world and in Russian practice.

Can Tourism contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals? Evidence from Pacific Island Countries & Territories

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 interconnected global goals aimed at achieving a better and more sustainable future for all people. Tourism has long been perceived as a passport to development in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). As such, tourism development in PICTs, if undertaken sustainably, can contribute to the SDGs. The paper cites examples where tourism can contribute, either directly or indirectly to all 17 SDGs in PICTs. There are numerous examples cited in the literature. But there are questions about how sustainable is the industry as a whole. Despite several excellent instances of how tourism may contribute to the SDGs in the Pacific, tourism’s potential to contribute to the SDGs effectively and meaningfully in the post-COVID-19 future may require further reconsideration. Keywords: Pacific Islands; SDGs; Tourism Development; MGDs; Fiji; Sustainability

COVID-19 Vaccination and Border Restrictions; Evaluation and Outlook on Health and Socio-economic Systems in Pacific Island Countries and Territories

COVID-19 Vaccination and Border Restrictions; Evaluation and Outlook on Health and Socio-economic Systems in Pacific Island Countries and Territories

Supporting a Resilience Observatory to Climate Risks in French Polynesia: From Valorization of Preexisting Data to Low-Cost Data Acquisition

Climate change has an ever-increasing impact on island territories. Whether it is due to rising sea levels or the increase in recurrence and intensity of extreme events, island territories are increasingly vulnerable. These impacts are expected to affect marine and terrestrial biodiversity, human occupation (infrastructure) and other activities such as agriculture and tourism, the two economic pillars of French Polynesia. While the current and future impacts of climate change on island territories are generally accepted, data acquisition, modeling, and projections of climate change are more complex to obtain and limitedly cover the island territories of the Pacific region. This article aims to develop methodologies for the acquisition and exploitation of data on current and future climate risks and their impacts in French Polynesia. This work of acquisition and valorization is part of a research project for the development of an observatory of resilience to climate risks in the perspective of building a spatial decision support system.

Food literacy in Pacific Island countries: a scoping review protocol.

The aim of this scoping review is to identify how food literacy is characterized and measured in the context of the Pacific Islands, and describe food literacy initiatives that may inform future policy, practice, and research. "Food literacy" is an emerging term used to describe the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required from individuals, households, communities, or nations to make healthy food choices. Given the complexity of changing food systems and the significant health challenges facing Pacific Island communities, understanding the evidence on food literacy in these communities may contribute to ensuring adequate nutrition for this population. The scoping review will examine all evidence that broadly defines, describes, measures, or explores food literacy and/or its components in residents of Pacific Island countries and territories, of any age or gender. Evidence on initiatives implemented to improve food literacy within this population will also be considered. Countries will be limited to member countries of "the Pacific Community." Key information sources to be searched for publications will include databases CABI, EBSCO, and Scopus, along with Google Scholar and Google for gray literature. Experts from relevant organizations and agencies will be contacted to locate additional sources. Results will be restricted to sources from the previous 30 years, available in English and French. Data will be extracted by two or more independent reviewers using a data extraction tool. Results will be presented with a narrative summary, accompanied by tabulated and/or charted results.

Timing and magnitude of climate-driven range shifts in transboundary fish stocks challenge their management.

Climate change is shifting the distribution of shared fish stocks between neighboring countries’ Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and the high seas. The timescale of these transboundary shifts determines how climate change will affect international fisheries governance. Here, we explore this timescale by coupling a large ensemble simulation of an Earth system model under a high emission climate change scenario to a dynamic population model. We show that by 2030, 23% of transboundary stocks will have shifted and 78% of the world's EEZs will have experienced at least one shifting stock. By the end of this century, projections show a total of 45% of stocks shifting globally and 81% of EEZs waters with at least one shifting stock. The magnitude of such shifts is reflected in changes in catch proportion between EEZs sharing a transboundary stock. By 2030, global EEZs are projected to experience an average change of 59% in catch proportion of transboundary stocks. Many countries that are highly dependent on fisheries for livelihood and food security emerge as hotspots for transboundary shifts. These hotspots are characterized by early shifts in the distribution of an important number of transboundary stocks. Existing international fisheries agreements need to be assessed for their capacity to address the social–ecological implications of climate‐change‐driven transboundary shifts. Some of these agreements will need to be adjusted to limit potential conflict between the parties of interest. Meanwhile, new agreements will need to be anticipatory and consider these concerns and their associated uncertainties to be resilient to global change.

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Domestic Animals, Wild Pigs, and Off-Host Environmental Sampling in Guam, USA.

Background: Guam, a United States of America (USA) island territory in the Pacific Ocean, is known to have large populations of ticks; however, it is unclear what the risk is to wildlife and humans living on the island. Dog (Canis familiaris), cat (Felis catus), and wild pig (Sus scrofa) sentinels were examined for ticks, and environmental sampling was conducted to determine the ticks present in Guam and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in hosts.Methods and Results: From March 2019-November 2020, ticks were collected from environmental sampling, dogs, cats, and wild pigs. Blood samples were also taken from a subset of animals. A total of 99 ticks were collected from 27 environmental samples and all were Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the brown dog tick. Most ticks were collected during the dry season with an overall sampling success rate of 63% (95% CI: 42.4–80.6). 6,614 dogs were examined, and 12.6% (95% CI: 11.8–13.4) were infested with at least one tick. One thousand one hundred twelve cats were examined, and six (0.54%; 95% CI: 0.20–1.1) were found with ticks. Sixty-four wild pigs were examined and 17.2% (95% CI: 9.5–27.8) had ticks. In total, 1,956 ticks were collected and 97.4% of ticks were R. sanguineus. A subset of R. sanguineus were determined to be the tropical lineage. The other tick species found were Rhipicephalus microplus (0.77%), Amblyomma breviscutatum (0.77 %), and a Haemaphysalis sp. (0.51%). Blood samples from 136 dogs, four cats, and 64 wild pigs were tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing methods. Five different tick-borne pathogens with the following prevalences were found in dogs: Anaplasma phagocytophilum 5.9% (95% CI: 2.6–11.3); Anaplasma platys 19.1% (95% CI: 12.9–26.7); Babesia canis vogeli 8.8% (95% CI: 4.6–14.9); Ehrlichia canis 12.5% (95% CI: 7.5–19.3); Hepatozoon canis 14.7% (95% CI: 9.2–28.8). E. canis was detected in one cat, and no tick-borne pathogens were detected in wild pigs. Overall, 43.4% (95% CI: 34.9–52.1) of dogs had at least one tick-borne pathogen. Serological testing for antibodies against Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. showed prevalences of 14.7% (95% CI: 9.2–28.8) and 31.6% (95% CI: 23.9–40), respectively.Conclusion: Four different tick species were found in Guam to include a Haemaphysalis sp., which is a previously unreported genus for Guam. Dogs with ticks have a high prevalence of tick-borne pathogens which makes them useful sentinels.

Waste colonialism and metabolic flows in island territories

Islands are tightly connected to globalized material flows, with specific constraints and vulnerabilities. They are not closed metabolic loops of consumption, production, and waste, favorable to the circular economy. Small islands allow the observation of the material outcomes of circulation, from overflowing dumpsites to marine debris washing up on the shore. We argue that islands are key territories for better understanding the Capitalocene, precisely because of the ways in which they are connected to (rather than isolated from) globalized material flows. This article is a comparative geographical analysis of waste realities in three French/formerly French island territories: Ndzuwani (Comoros), Réunion, and New Caledonia. It builds on metabolism analysis and waste studies—in particular waste colonialism—to address the different perspectives that these approaches open up for the study of island territories. The long-term sociohistorical context of each island helps to explain contemporary waste management policies and practices. A material flow analysis makes it possible to sketch out metabolic profiles that show the contribution of prevailing mining and agricultural industries to waste generation. The comparison of current situations regarding household waste discourses and economies shows how these territories are characterized by waste accumulation.

PESQUISA DE HÁBITOS ALIMENTARIOS Y FACTORES DE RIESGO CARDIOVASCULARES EN ADULTOS EN ISLA SANTIAGO, BUENOS AIRES

Introduction: There is evidence about the close relationship between chronic non-communicable diseases, eating habits and physical activity. Based on the results of the 4th National Survey of Risk Factors (ENFR), an island territory in the province of Buenos Aires was sought where it was assumed that the way of life could have a positive influence. Objectives: to analyze the frequency of habits, the frequency of chronic pathologies and the relationship between them; assuming that a lifestyle away from the big cities would lead to healthier habits, and with it, better health indicators. Material and methods: Prevalence study. A house-to-house survey of 42 homes on Santiago Island, where a survey and physical examination were applied, which included: anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and capillary blood glucose. Results: Most of the dwellings (71.4%) had fruit trees or orchards in their homes at the time of data collection. However, when making the comparison with the 4th ENFR, the results showed that it was a population in which physical inactivity, poor diet and problematic consumption of alcohol and tobacco exceeded the national average. Chronic diseases resulted in a trend similar to the national one. Conclusions: Although accessibility to resources should be considered an important element, this characteristic is added to87 others due to associated factors such as sociocultural, advertising and aspects of health education. The importance of working deeply on population habits is highlighted, as well as emphasizing the need to implement efficient educational programs with a local perspective. Key words: Cardiovascular risk factors; chronic non-communicable diseases; nutritional habits.