The director of the Va'aomanu Pasifika at New Zealand's Victoria University in Wellington, Tagaloatele Peggy Dunlop-Fairbairn, has welcomed the latest United Nations Family Planning Association Pacific report.
It was launched in Wellington on Monday night and is part of the United Nations Population Funds 2008 State of the World Population report.
Tagaloatele says the report cites atrocities committed around the world.
She says while the experiences may not be as harsh in the region, Pacific people have their own challenges.
"When you look at some of the stats in terms of example infant mortality four and five for New Zealand but 55 and 60 rates in some of the Melanesian countries, when you look at life expectancies of 79 and 78 in say New Zealand and Australia but in the 50's in some of the Melanesian countries and down to the 40's if you like in some of the Micronesian and even if you look at clean water stats we've got our own challenges apart from the culture and gender intertwined with addressing those issues."
Tagaloatele Peggy Dunlop-Fairbairn
