Pacific Islands Forum: Leaders will meet in Palau from August 30 to September 4, with “Building Economies: Life, Action, Unity” on the agenda—and big geopolitical stakes as China and the U.S. compete for influence across the Indo-Pacific. Maternal and child health push: Fiji and Kiribati are aligning on maternal healthcare, nutrition, and social protection to cut infant deaths and improve care for pregnant mothers. Economy and health pressure: The World Bank warns Pacific growth is slowing as fuel costs, weaker tourism, inflation, and repeated global shocks bite—conditions that can quickly spill into household health and access to services. Plastic crisis: Kiribati is calling for stronger upstream action, saying plastic waste is piling up daily while limited land and treatment options leave communities stuck with downstream impacts. Care in climate planning: A reminder that care services are often missing from adaptation plans, even as El Niño-linked drought, flooding, and disease threaten the most vulnerable.