C ommo nwe a l t h memb e r c o u n t r i e s public health sector and training for existing health staff. Aid to the tune of AUS$3.9 million (2013–14) has also gone towards hospital maintenance, the supply of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, help with nurses’ salaries and medical specialist visits. Nauru is not a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the covenant that commits signees to the ensuring ‘the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’. Care of the elderly: Just four per cent of Nauru’s population is over 60 years. This demographic is unusual in the Pacific, as most nations have a higher proportion of elderly people – in Niue, for example, 20 per cent of the population is over 60. Traditionally in Micronesian society, the elderly were cared for by younger generations of their extended family. However, living patterns are changing, leaving some older people vulnerable. In the early days of the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Fund, it was used to fund a welfare system from which the elderly benefited. Some elderly people still receive payments in relation to the fund. Further information Ministry of Health: www.naurugov.nr Commonwealth Health Online: www.commonwealthhealth.org/health/pacific/nauru 224 Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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