rp21 situational analysis - Pacific Health Voices

citizens to reside, work and study in the
United States and its territories, and access
a number of United States federally funded
programs. 505 While Palau has a relatively stable
government, reports of corruption among
government officials are common and have
the potential to significantly affect longterm
sustainable development goals. 506
Health and development
Palau is reported to have one of the highest
living standards of all Pacific Island nations
and income per capita is twice that of
its neighbour, the Philippines. 507 It remains
unranked in terms of the UNDP Human
Development Index. 508 An analysis of data
provided by the Palau Ministry of Health
suggested that, of the ten leading causes
of death in Palau, substance use plays a part
in all but two, with the list including heart
and liver disease, cancer and injuries in the
top five. 509
9.2 Drug and alcohol
overview
Palau was not one of the countries considered
in the 2004–05 situational analysis of
illicit drug issues in the region. Palau has
not played a part in the PDARN to date, but
for the first time a law enforcement delegate
from Palau attended the 2009 PDARN
meeting. In addition, the Palau Behavioural
Health Centre has provided a valuable contribution
to the development of the country
profile and is undertaking important work in
the substance use field. This development is
relatively important because Palau has been
identified as a country with a number of
key risk factors related to injecting drug use
and HIV infection, more than for any other
PICTs considered in this analysis. 510 Despite
its relatively small population, Palau will be
an important future contributor to the network,
not least because the available data
place a heavy emphasis on alcohol as the
main drug of concern.
107
505 Above, fn.496.
506 Government of Palau & European Community (2007), Country Strategy Paper and National
Indicative Programme (for the period 2008–2013). Available at: ; evidence in other reports contradicts this view.
507 Above, fn.491.
508 Ibid.
509 Council on Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) (2009), (Draft) Epidemiological Profile of
Substance Use/Abuse Patterns in the Republic of Palau. Koror, Palau: COSAP, March 2009; copy
provided by key informant.
510 Personal communication, 2008, re unpublished epidemiological report prepared for UNAIDS.
Palau