Kiribati

Saving Lives

Results to 30 June 2012

• From 2008 to 2011, polio immunisation coverage rose from 74 per cent to 95 per cent. Coverage for the combined diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine (DPT3) rose from 82 per cent to 99 per cent.

Commitments 2012–13

• Build the new Betio Maternity Hospital to provide safe delivery services for over 1,200 women annually in South Tarawa.
• Rehabilitate the Kiribati School of Nursing to improve the quality of nursing education in Kiribati.
• Rehabilitate sewerage networks and help foster better hygiene and sanitation practices at the household level to reduce infant deaths from diarrhoea.
• Continue the tuberculosis (TB) program to further reduce the prevalence of TB in Kiribati.

More about saving lives

Promoting Opportunities for All

Results to 30 June 2012

• More children with disabilities – 105 in 2012 compared to 80 in 2010 – are now able to access the School and Centre for Children with Special Needs.
• Since 2007, 245 scholarships have been awarded to students to study at tertiary institutions.
• Six primary schools have been rehabilitated – including with improved access to clean water and sanitation facilities – to provide safe and conducive learning environments for almost 900 children.
• Youth participation at the Kiribati Institute of Technology has increased. Young people comprised 81 per cent of the intake in 2012, up from 70 per cent in 2011.
• The Kiribati Institute of Technology has been supported by TAFE South Australia, which means it now offers training and assessment accredited under the Australian Qualifications Training Framework.
• A legislative and policy framework for Education has been established.
• The Teacher Professional Development framework was developed to ensure teachers are motivated and equipped with relevant skills, are competent to teach in both Te-Kiribati and English, and are able to deliver the curriculum.
  

Commitments 2012–13

• Continue to award tertiary scholarships to Australian and regional universities, as well as through the Australia-Pacific Technical College.
• Rehabilitate a further 12 primary schools, ensuring that an additional 8,640 children are learning in safe environments.
• Continue to support the expansion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). This will involve maintaining international standards by building the skills of teachers, improving the curriculum and assessments, and upgrading facilities through an agreement with TAFE South Australia.
• Implement the new teacher professional development framework and the national curriculum, both of which were developed in 2011.

More about promoting opportunities for all

Sustainable Economic Development

Results to 30 June 2012

• Detecting leaks on the Betio village section of the South Tarawa water pipeline, and carrying out repair work, has added 10 per cent more water to the South Tarawa treated water supply.
  

Commitments 2012–13

• Rehabilitate the main road in Tarawa linking communities to schools, hospitals and markets.
• Support the introduction of a competitive information and communication technology policy to encourage foreign investment for increased mobile and internet coverage.
• Support finalisation and implementation of the new National Fisheries Policy, with a focus on food security and coastal fisheries management.
• Continue supporting regional fisheries organisations, which assist Kiribati in negotiating licensing agreements and exclusive economic zone surveillance and management.

More about sustainable economic development

Effective Governance

Results to 30 June 2012

• The Government has introduced a Medium Term Fiscal Framework in an effort to reduce its fiscal deficit over time and ensure an increased share of budget allocations to areas such as health and education.
• An Economic Reform Plan was drafted to guide Kiribati’s economic priorities and donor contributions over the next four years. It takes account of government and donor dialogue, consistent with commitments under the Forum Compact.
• Australia supported the Government of Kiribati to hold its Development Partner Forum 2012, which will strengthen aid coordination.
• A 10-year plan on a National Approach to Eliminating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence was endorsed in 2011.
• A number of policy reforms have been approved by Cabinet as part of the overall state-owned enterprise reform strategy. One state-owned enterprise has already been sold, and another has been put up for sale.

Commitments 2012–13

• Participate in the economic policy dialogues on the Economic Reform Plan, and consider establishing a performance-linked aid program in cooperation with the World Bank.
• Support the development of an Aid Coordination Policy to ensure the Government of Kiribati and donors are effectively working together.
• Support interventions to combat violence against women, including a SAFENET hotline (a referral system), providing safe houses, and carrying out training for the judiciary, police, and health and social welfare workers.
•  Install a new computerised tax system to support improved revenue collection and tax compliance.
• Upgrade the Attaché accounting system, including reforms to budgeting methodology, accounting standards, reporting and payment systems.
• Continue to support the reforms of state-owned enterprises.

More about effective governance

Australian ODA to Kiribati ($m), 2001–02 to 2012–13

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The graph above shows the Australian Official Development Assistance to Kiribati, including AusAID funding and funding by Other Government Departments (OGD).

The exact values are as follows:

• 2001–02: AusAID $9,665,190, OGD $585,680
• 2002–03: AusAID $10,946,701, OGD $928,278
• 2003–04: AusAID $10,630,141, OGD $808,352
• 2004–05: AusAID $10,188,704, OGD $549,569
• 2005–06: AusAID $11,529,923.5, OGD $533,793.9
• 2006–07: AusAID $9,906,010.9, OGD $683,374.8
• 2007–08: AusAID $7,983,448, OGD $459,450.9
• 2008–09: AusAID $14,669,410.3, OGD $463,478.5
• 2009–10: AusAID $17,244,947.5, OGD $778,616.9
• 2010–11: AusAID $30,459,089.6, OGD $714,154.7
• 2011–12: AusAID $34,231,245, OGD $707,439
• 2012–13: AusAID $26,270,245, OGD $631,368

ODA to Kiribati by strategic goal 2009–10 to 2012–13 (%)

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The graph above shows Australian Official Development Assistance to Indonesia by strategic goal.

The exact values are as follows (%):

• 2012–13
  Saving lives: 16
  Promoting opportunities for all: 54
  Sustainable economic development: 15
  Effective governance: 9
  Humanitarian and disaster response: 0
  Cross cutting: 6
• 2011–12
  Saving lives: 30
  Promoting opportunities for all: 42
  Sustainable economic development: 15
  Effective governance: 10
  Humanitarian and disaster response: 2
  Cross cutting: 3
• 2010–11
  Saving lives: 10
  Promoting opportunities for all: 31
  Sustainable economic development: 21
  Effective governance: 32
  Humanitarian and disaster response: 0
  Cross cutting: 5
• 2009–10
  Saving lives: 32
  Promoting opportunities for all: 33
  Sustainable economic development: 10
  Effective governance: 15
  Humanitarian and disaster response: 0
  Cross cutting: 11

Other ODA in Whole of Government 2010–11 to 2011–12 ($'000)

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The graph above shows the Australian Official Development Assistance to Kiribati by Other Government Departments.

The exact values are as follows:

• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
  2010–11: $305,900. 2011–12: $343,600.
• Attorney-Generals—Customs and Border Protection
  2010–11: $0. 2011–12: $0.
• Defence
  2010–11:$349,500. 2011–12: $316,200.
• Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
  2010–11: $44,800. 2011–12: $22,200.
• Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
  2010–11: $0. 2011–12: $16,000.
• Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education
  2010–11: $0. 2011–12: $9,500.
• Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Community
  2010–11: $13,900. 2011–12: $0.
  
• Total Other Government Departments
  2010–11: $714,200. 2011–12: $707,400.

Research overview

Research funded by AusAID’s Kiribati country program targets the country’s specific development challenges. Research is also carried out on a regional level. Some of the highlights are listed below.

Micro-simulation analysis of social protection interventions in Pacific island countries (2012)

Pacific island countries have varying social protection systems, both formal and traditional. These systems are important in supporting the most vulnerable members of society and those affected by personal and natural disasters.

In the Pacific islands, social protection has typically been an area of low government involvement. Knowledge about formal social protection in the region is limited, and there have been no studies on the impact of such schemes on poverty, human development and economic growth.

This research looks at poverty, vulnerability and social protection across the dimensions of health and education, gender, social cohesion, economic growth, and traditional protection networks. It is based on case studies in four Pacific island countries: Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Read the Micro-simulation analysis of social protection interventions in Pacific Island countries report

Australia’s Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme: Development Impacts in the First Two Years (2011)

Australia launched the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme in August 2008. The program was designed to alleviate labour shortages for the Australian horticultural industry by providing opportunities for workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Vanuatu to undertake seasonal work. This paper presents an analysis of the development impacts of this program in the first two years, and compares them to those from New Zealand’s seasonal worker program in the same countries.
 
The research examines Pacific seasonal workers’ employment experience, remittances, and training to determine how effective a seasonal worker program is in contributing to economic development in home countries.
 
In addition to providing an initial assessment of development impact, this research project develops a base line for future evaluation and analysis.

Kiribati Family Health and Support Study (2010)

This report is the first ever nationally representative piece of research on violence against women and related child abuse in Kiribati. The study replicates the World Health Organization’s multi-country study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence against Women.

It was designed to:

• estimate the prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women, with particular emphasis on violence by intimate partners;
• assess the association of partner violence with a range of health outcomes;
• identify factors that may either protect or put women at risk of partner violence;
• document the strategies and services that women use to cope with violence by an intimate partner; and
• assess the association of partner violence with abuse against children.

Where is Kiribati?

Country Demographic Statistics

Population: 103,466

GDP growth (annual %, 2010): 1.8 per cent

GNI per capita, Atlas method (US$ 2010): US$2,010

Percentage population living below the US$1.25 poverty line: Not available*

Net enrolment rate in primary school: 81.8 per cent

Ratio of female to male primary enrolment (% 2009): 103.7 per cent

Mortality rate of children under 5 (per 1,000): 46

Maternal mortality (per 100,000): Not available*

Adjusted net savings (percentage of GNI) against carbon dioxide emissions per capita (tonnes): Not available*

Sources: Kiribati Census, World Bank, UN Human Development Indicators

* The UN or the World Bank does not have a record for this data category. Collection of statistics in the Pacific is an ongoing issue.