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Pacific leaders from ministries of finance and health came together at the World Bank¡¯s Pacific Health Systems Flagship Course in February 2025, in Nadi, Fiji. The course, developed by the World Bank in consultation with regional experts, equipped participants with the best knowledge and tools to advance health sector reform. More than 50 senior policymakers from eight Pacific countries took part.

Health and finance: A key collaboration

One of the key takeaways for attendees was that bringing health and finance policymakers into one room can be a game-changer for national health reform.

¡°This program is different from the other programs that I¡¯ve been to,¡± said Francyne Wase-Jacklick, Permanent Secretary for Health in the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI). ¡°They bring in the experts, not just of health, but another core area where we¡¯re always working is finance. To have those two in the same space is unique. You don¡¯t get that a lot. I think there¡¯s a lot of synergies that will be built from here on.¡±

The power of this integration was shared by Francyne¡¯s counterpart in finance, Neri Wase, RMI¡¯s Deputy Secretary of Finance. ¡°To me, a healthy island is one where we¡¯re able to effectively and efficiently allocate our financial resources for the improvement of the lives of our people,¡± she said. ¡°My primary goal after returning to the Marshall Islands is to enhance our partnership with the Ministry of Health.¡±

As the Assistant Principal Budget Analyst at Fiji¡¯s Ministry of Finance, Melissa Kwan also enjoyed the opportunity to work with colleagues across sectors. 

¡°One of the strong messages that came out was the need to collaborate more and coordinate with my colleagues from the Ministry of Health,¡± Melissa said. ¡°We began to realize that there are a lot of things we¡¯re doing in our own spaces that we don¡¯t know about, but it¡¯s linked.¡± This realization has already begun to shape Melissa¡¯s plans. ¡°What I¡¯m hoping to do when we go back is formalize these relationships so that it¡¯s not just something we do when we come together at a course or workshop ¡­ Formalizing this relationship would ensure that it remains sustainable.¡±

Marcellina Loe Iro works as Director of the Budget Unit in the Solomon Islands Ministry of Finance and echoed her peers when reflecting on the power of collaboration.

¡°A healthy Island is an island where the people in it are smiling. They work together. They collaborate when there's a problem or an issue that comes up, everybody works together to sort out the issue,¡± Marcellina said. ¡°Having to sit here with the Ministry of Health helps me to understand what their priorities are, especially in terms of the resources that they would need to roll out their priority health activities in the provinces. So [we need] more collaboration. Collaboration, not only with Ministry of Finance, but other ministries that are also taking part in this journey in strengthening or improving health services to our islands.¡±

Regional experiences help shape country-specific reforms

Collaboration extended beyond in-country sectors to cross-country sessions, where participants shared their challenges and experiences across borders. Melissa Kwan appreciated the opportunity to focus on the challenges in her country¡ªFiji¡ªwhile also learning from other perspectives.

¡°We had cross-country groups where we could share our learnings from our own respective countries and then hear about challenges and their solutions as well. That was useful. And then having an in-country group, where we could also share what we¡¯re facing individually, here in our own ministries and in our own spaces. That, for me, was very different,¡± Melissa said.