{"id":362,"date":"2020-05-27T12:30:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T02:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/?page_id=362"},"modified":"2025-05-27T22:41:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T22:41:06","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-eae17e81 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WATERSHED INTERVENTIONS FOR SYSTEMS HEALTH IN FIJI (WISH Pacific)&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project is a collaboration between the University of Sydney, Edith Cowan University, Fiji National University, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, in partnership with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Water Authority of Fiji, Pacific Community, UNICEF and World Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Fiji, rural communities are highly dependent on nearby water sources for consumption and other household activities. Outbreaks of water-related diseases such as leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue (LTD) are common in Fiji. In recent times, there has been a three-fold increase in leptospirosis cases following Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016, at least 20 reported cases of life-threatening typhoid and the largest dengue outbreak (&gt; 27,000 cases) in Fiji during the 2013\/2014 cyclone season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;In sub-catchment areas of the Dawasamu, Waibula, Upper Navua, Bureta and Dama rivers, all of which had documented cases of LTD, we are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>gathering data on land and water use, water and sanitation infrastructure, water quality, ecosystem condition and suspected and confirmed cases of LTD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>using this information to co-design and adapt targeted management interventions with local communities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>working with local leaders and government agencies to improve health and watershed system governance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>monitoring the impact of these changes over time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-853 size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Project_-sites_20200603-1024x725.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-853\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The five sub-catchments where the WISH Fiji project is being implemented.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The catchment activities are led by Fiji-based catchment coordinators, working closely with field staff and 29 sub-catchment communities (equivalent to over 300 households) to collect evidence on the environmental and socioeconomic risk factors influencing water-related disease incidence or prevalence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Our aims:<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Through these strategies, &nbsp;we aim to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>reduce the incidence of water-related diseases in people and downstream coral in five Fiji sub-catchments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>strengthen local connections to place to enhance environmental stewardship and maintain cultural practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>develop a coordinated mechanism for systems health governance involving communities and government<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>empower communities to access and maintain their fundamental right to clean water<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>facilitate approaches to sustainably finance and scale interventions nationally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Achievement of these aims will lead to improved health and well-being of people and ecosystems across Fiji and provide a global model for integrated island management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-dee51c0c wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);flex-basis:25%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-custom-white-color has-custom-link-hover-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-3480f5198aaae5f76207ec69cd580e91 has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f611be13 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-custom-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2c4b49da168a9e99c859b7efad5e2555\">The WISH Pacific Team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-custom-charcoal-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/staff-profiles\/\">Visit<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-custom-lite-grey-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f611be13 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Publications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Review our publications<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/publications\/\">Visit<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-custom-white-color has-custom-link-hover-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-aa440fa8791dc94d27d95d7d38cf3142 has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f611be13 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-custom-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-472a73e57cfe092ecd211739e6a3e350\">Latest News<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Read about our latest projects and news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-custom-charcoal-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/news\/\">Visit<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WATERSHED INTERVENTIONS FOR SYSTEMS HEALTH IN FIJI (WISH Pacific)&nbsp; The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project is a collaboration between the University of Sydney, Edith Cowan University, Fiji National University, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, in partnership with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Water Authority of Fiji, Pacific [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":416,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/template-repeatable-sections.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-362","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1533,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/362\/revisions\/1533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}