Samoa: Confident all preparations are in place for CHOGM

On 15 October, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa stated in a press conference that the country was ready for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held over 25-26 October. A cruise ship has been brought in to provide additional accommodation. 1500 additional law enforcement and military personnel from 11 Pacific countries are assisting Samoan authorities. New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom are providing specialised maritime security capabilities. Road closures begin on 24 October to facilitate VIP arrivals and movement. Medical teams from New Zealand and the US are also reinforcing local providers. There has been some public concern about the possible arrival of Mpox, with eight of the 56 attending countries having active Mpox cases.

Assessment: It is positive that Samoan authorities are comfortable with their security and logistical preparation with one week to go before the arrival of official delegations. Some low level operational details may still need working out, but there has been no negative public comments around the arrangements that have occurred with similar events in other countries. The Acting Director General of Health stated that they have been proactively working with the World Health Organisation regarding Mpox and assess the risk of the virus is low, with screening and testing regimes in place nonetheless. Samoa has just resolved a dengue outbreak that began in October 2023 – this recent event combined with the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic is almost certainly driving the elevated public interest in Mpox.