ABSTRACT
When looking at the social and health challenges in the Pacific Islands, the need for community development initiatives is critical. From a social perspective, the Pacific population suffers from one of the highest rates of domestic violence and suicide in the world. From a health perspective, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have overtaken communicable diseases and present a leading threat to Pacific population health. In response to these issues, sport-for-development (SFD) programs have been implemented across the Pacific Islands region. In this paper, we look back at the achievements and limitations of a number of significant SFD initiatives that have been staged in this culturally diverse and geographically remote area. Moreover, we reflect on the lessons learnt and discuss these in the context of the SFD Healthy Lifestyle Quadrant – an inclusive framework that combines sport, health, socio-cultural development and policy-making (see Schulenkorf and Siefken, in press).
