rp21 situational analysis - Pacific Health Voices

Situational analysis of drug and alcohol issues and responses in the Pacific
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3.6 Australian involvement
Australian Agency for
International Development
The focus of the Australian aid program
for FSM is education and training, largely
providing scholarships for study at regional
universities. In addition, there is a Small Grants
Scheme to support community organisations
or supplement the work of government agencies
to provide direct assistance for small-scale
community development by targeting governance,
education and health. 247 Other
initiatives include the joint implementation
of a border management system (BMS), with
the Australian contribution estimated to be
AU$800 000. The BMS assists Micronesia to
manage and control its borders using a computerised
system in its international airports
and immigration offices. The objective is to
expand the investigation capability of FSM
and increase its ability to address border control
issues, such as human trafficking, visa
fraud, illegal weapons and drug trafficking. 248
Australian non-government
organisations
A search of the Australian Council for International
Development (ACFID) website
yielded no information regarding Australian
NGOs working in FSM.
3.7 International
involvement
New Zealand
New Zealand does not support a current
bilateral program in the FSM but prospective
students are able to apply for the scholarship
program to study at a New Zealand-based
institution. 249 FSM also benefits from New
Zealand’s contributions to regional programs
and agencies.
Other programs
Under a Compact of Free Association, the
United States provides substantial financial
support to the Federated States of Micronesia
through annual budgetary grants. 250
HIV and AIDS programs operate in each of
the four States of FSM: Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae
and Yap. The major source of funding for
HIV and AIDS programs in FSM comes from
the United States Government, through the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
Human Resources and Services Administration,
and from WHO and the Global Fund
to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 251
247 AusAID Country Brief, available at: (accessed March 2009).
248 Ibid.
249 NZAID, Aid programs: (accessed
October 2009).
250 AusAID, Aid program in Micronesia, available at: (accessed October 2009).
251 Above, fn.196: only three HIV-positive people continue to reside in FSM — 27 of the 35
diagnosed cases have died and the remainder left the country.