From Tropical Cyclone Maila to the next cyclone: Solomon Islands turns lessons into emergency readiness

Nowhere in the world do climate shocks affect people’s lives and the continuity of lifesaving health services more than in the Pacific.

When Tropical Cyclone (TC) Maila struck Solomon Islands on 10 April 2026, health workers in Choiseul and Western Province saw how quickly a storm can cut communities off from life-saving care. Even as some were affected themselves, they continued caring for others under difficult conditions.

The cyclone affected four provinces, with Western Province and Choiseul sustaining the greatest impact on lives and livelihoods. Health facilities were damaged, primary health-care services were disrupted, and the risk of communicable disease outbreaks increased. In Choiseul alone, assessments found that 12 health facilities sustained damage.

“Communities were among the most affected because they were not able to access health services because the coastline was flooded,” recalled Choiseul Provincial Health Director William Timba.


Choiseul Provincial Health Director Mr William Timba said “I really appreciate WHO for organizing this AAR. It is very, very helpful.” Photo: WHO/Ruel Serrano

At one health facility, two buildings were destroyed. In some coastal areas, health workers and communities moved to higher ground for safety, which disrupted normal services for nearly two weeks. Health workers continued providing limited services where possible, but with communities dispersed and access to facilities difficult, they urgently needed to take health services directly to people.

As the impact became clearer, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), through the Public Health Emergency and Surveillance Unit (PHESU), activated national and provincial health emergency operations centres. The response included enhanced disease surveillance, coordination with disaster authorities and partners, and deployment of Solomon Islands Medical Assistance Teams (SOLMAT) to affected areas. WHO supported PHESU in preparing the teams and providing emergency caches of essential supplies, which the teams used in affected communities.


Findings from the AAR can help shape the draft National Health Response Plan and the upcoming costed National Action Plan for Health Security, turning repeated recommendations into stronger readiness before the next crisis. Photo: WHO/Ruel Serrano

SOLMAT spent two weeks in Choiseul, taking essential health services closer to people whose usual access to clinics had been disrupted. “They went straight to the communities, providing services in communities, not just in the clinics,” Mr Timba said.

The wider response brought together MHMS, national and provincial disaster management authorities, United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners. They mobilized sanitation and hygiene supplies and other vital relief items. “The coordination between the national level and the provincial level was good,” said Mr Timba. “Based on my experience, this time it was better than previous responses. It has improved.”


For WHO, supporting the AAR is part of helping Solomon Islands strengthen its capacity to prepare for, detect and respond to health emergencies. Photo: WHO/Ruel Serrano

Yet the response also exposed familiar challenges. Solomon Islands’ geography makes moving health workers and supplies to remote islands and coastal communities difficult. It also reinforced a long-standing finding from previous preparedness assessments, including the Joint External Evaluation: emergency operations need a faster financial approval mechanism. Delays in releasing funds can slow deployment, procurement, and delivery of essential support, limiting the health sector’s ability to reach affected communities when time matters most.

WHO recently convened an After-Action Review (AAR) with health officials, provincial representatives and response partners to assess the health-sector response to TC Maila in Western and Choiseul provinces. Guided by four questions — what worked, what did not, why, and what must improve before the next emergency — the review aims to identify progress, close gaps and turn lessons into time-bound actions for stronger health emergency preparedness and response across Solomon Islands.


By bringing together people who experienced the response from different perspectives, the AAR can turn operational lessons into practical improvements before the next crisis. Photo: WHO/Ruel Serrano

Mr Timba said the review provided a practical way to turn experience into direction. “I really appreciate WHO for organizing this AAR. It is very, very helpful,” he said. “We hear from Western Province, from the national level, and from other partners. Without doing this, we cannot know where we are. If another cyclone comes, we need to know where to start. This exercise will guide us.”

For WHO, supporting the AAR is part of helping Solomon Islands strengthen its capacity to prepare for, detect and respond to health emergencies. By bringing together people who experienced the response from different perspectives, the review can turn operational lessons into practical improvements before the next crisis.

One lesson from TC Maila is the importance of keeping provincial emergency structures active, readily understood, and regularly reviewed even when there is no emergency. Choiseul has systems for coordinating health emergencies, but staff turnover means new officers may not always know procedures or responsibilities.

Emergency systems strengthened during COVID-19 also need to be maintained, not reactivated only when another crisis occurs. “We should strengthen our Provincial Health Emergency Operations Centre and revisit our standard operating procedures,” Mr Timba said. “People need to understand their roles and responsibilities.” 

After the AAR, the work returns to the provinces. Mr Timba plans to work with the Provincial Disaster Officer and health and emergency partners to review Choiseul’s experience in greater detail, share lessons from the national exercise and identify local improvements. Provincial participants, including those from Western Province, also committed to turning the findings into practical action before the next emergency. The true measure of the AAR will be whether recommendations are implemented, systems remain ready, roles stay clear, and communities are better protected when the next crisis comes.


The AAR aims to identify progress, close gaps and turn lessons into time-bound actions for stronger health emergency preparedness and response across Solomon Islands. Photo: WHO/Ruel Serrano

Building on MHMS preparedness efforts supported by WHO — including the National Risk Ranking and National Risk Profile, Joint External Evaluation, PHEOC training and Provincial Emergency Medical Team training — the review offers practical lessons for decision-makers. Its findings can help shape the draft National Health Response Plan and the upcoming costed National Action Plan for Health Security, turning repeated recommendations into stronger readiness before the next crisis.