Moury P. H., Tromhae M., Cazorla C., Série M., Flahault A., Couadau E., Fleury C., Mangeas Morgan, De Greslan T. (2025). Colonial transition as a major mediator of global health transition : lessons from the 2024 New Caledonia crisis. Journal of Global Health, 15, p. 03004 [7 p.]. ISSN 2047-2978.
Titre du document
Colonial transition as a major mediator of global health transition : lessons from the 2024 New Caledonia crisis
Année de publication
2025
Auteurs
Moury P. H., Tromhae M., Cazorla C., Série M., Flahault A., Couadau E., Fleury C., Mangeas Morgan, De Greslan T.
Source
Journal of Global Health, 2025,
15, p. 03004 [7 p.] ISSN 2047-2978
New Caledonia is currently seeking its future institutional framework through violent, politically-driven clashes within the population. The insurrections in May 2024, fuelled by political, and social divisions, also targeted the healthcare system in an unprecedented manner. Here we summarise the situation from a global health perspective and outline its link with colonial transitions. The territory now faces new health-related challenges because of trends in ageing (due to demographic transitions) and the transition from infectious to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), especially due to disparities between ethnic groups. Research has shown the Melanesian (Kanak) and Oceanian populations had a higher average body mass index than European (P < 0.001). Simultaneously, the incidence of leptospirosis (which is associated with rainfall) in 2021-22 were higher in the communal district where the Kanak group formed the majority of the population, compared to the western and southern coasts, where European people lived. Among the NCDs, issues with mental health predominate the literature, especially among the young, males, and the Kanak population. We therefore call for a deep consideration of this problem, considering all the cases that are emerging due to the new civil unrest that targeted all the society. Simultaneously, the 2020 and 2021 referendums for independence during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns revealed the deep-seated impacts of global health transition embedded within the colonial trauma, as disease control and its consequences were an essential prerequisite for the political debate. These vulnerabilities highlighted the urgency for targeted interventions, necessitating an approach adapted to community care that respects the New Caledonia people's cultural practices. We also call for a field-based experimental approach that must emphasise sustainable health, inequality reduction, the One Health approach, and climate change. Ultimately, integrating sociological insights into health policies is crucial for restoring dignity, addressing trauma, and preparing for future crises, fostering a more inclusive and resilient society.
Plan de classement
Santé : aspects socioculturels, économiques et politiques [056]
Description Géographique
NOUVELLE CALEDONIE
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010092813]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010092813
