Kingdom of Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga is located in the southern Pacific Ocean, approximately 900km south of Samoa and approximately 700 km east-southeast of Fiji. Tonga is comprised of over 170 islands and islets, of which around 36 are inhabited. Tonga is governed by a constitutional monarchy. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is elected by the Parliament and appointed by the Monarch. In 2013, Tonga was classified as an upper-middle income country with a gross national income (GNI) per capita of US$ 4240.The primary sector including subsistence farming as well as agricultural, forestry and fishery exports forms the backbone of Tonga’s economy. Tourism is hoped to hold significant economic potential for Tonga as has been the case in Fiji and Samoa.

Tonga is a constitutional monarchy, the only governance system of its kind in the Pacific. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is elected by the Parliament and appointed by the Monarch. This has 26 seats, of which approximately 17 are elected through popular vote, while the others are elected from among the nobles.

Tonga is a constitutional monarchy, the only governance system of its kind in the Pacific. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is elected by the Parliament and appointed by the Monarch. This has 26 seats, of which approximately 17 are elected through popular vote, while the others are elected from among the nobles.

The tourism industry in Tonga is steadily growing. It is well-known for its whale watching, and swimming with humpback whales is a popular tourist activity. Other adventure sports include snorkelling, diving, kayaking, kite surfing, sailing, and fishing. For more leisurely activities, tourists can visit Tonga’s pristine beaches, explore its rich cultural history through its traditional villages, or go on a bird watching tour.

WHO Country Cooperation Strategy 2018-2022: Tonga

http://iris.wpro.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665.1/13957/WPRO-2017-DPM-023-ton-eng.pdf

Access Tonga country profile (CHIPS 2015-2016)

http://hiip.wpro.who.int/portal/portals/0/CountryProfiles/PDF/TON_Tonga2015.pdf

Access UHC and SDG country profile

http://iris.wpro.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665.1/14063/WPR-2018-DHS-024-ton-eng.pdf

Health Financing

http://hiip.wpro.who.int/portal/Countryprofiles/Tonga/HealthProfiles/TabId/202/ArtMID/1056/ArticleID/114/Default

Health Service Delivery Profiles

http://www.wpro.who.int/health_services/service_delivery_profile_tonga.pdf

Human resources for health

http://www.wpro.who.int/hrh/documents/publications/wpr_hrh_country_profiles_tonga_upload.pdf

National immunization data – EPI summaries by country

http://www.wpro.who.int/immunization/documents/epi_country_poster_2014_ton.pdf