Dr. Hilda Riklon

Dr. Hilda Riklon is a senior medical officer at Majuro Hospital, the Marshall Islands' principal hospital serving the nation's population of approximately 42,000 across 29 low-lying atolls. With 10 years of clinical experience, Dr. Riklon is one of a small group of Marshallese physicians providing comprehensive primary and secondary care in one of the Pacific's most resource-limited healthcare environments.

The Marshall Islands faces an extreme NCD burden — among the world's highest rates of diabetes (affecting approximately 30% of adults), hypertension, and obesity — alongside tuberculosis and a legacy of radiation-related health effects in communities affected by US nuclear testing conducted in the mid-twentieth century. Dr. Riklon's practice addresses these complex overlapping health challenges.

It is important to note that specialist care is very limited in the Marshall Islands. Conditions requiring cardiology, oncology, advanced surgery, or specialist paediatric care typically require referral to Fiji, Hawaii, or the Philippines. Dr. Riklon plays a key role in identifying patients who need overseas referral and coordinating with the RMI government's medical referral programme.

Dr. Riklon completed her MD at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, the standard medical training pathway for Marshallese physicians under the Compact of Free Association between the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the United States. She holds a Diploma in Primary Care and ACLS certification.

She has completed clinical attachments at Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and has participated in Pacific NCD management training through the Pacific Community (SPC) and WHO Pacific Office. She participates in the Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN) continuing medical education programme.

Dr. Riklon's clinical expertise centres on managing the Marshall Islands' extreme NCD burden. In diabetes, she manages type 1 and type 2 diabetes including insulin initiation, diabetic complication monitoring, and management of the very high rates of diabetic kidney disease and foot disease in the Marshallese population.

She manages hypertension, thyroid disease — which has elevated prevalence in communities with nuclear testing exposure — and chronic kidney disease, which is a major cause of morbidity in the Marshall Islands. She also manages tuberculosis, provides antenatal care, and handles emergency assessments with stabilisation and referral coordination for patients requiring specialist care overseas.

Dr. Riklon is dedicated to serving Marshallese communities and to improving health outcomes in a nation facing extreme NCD burden and the ongoing legacy of nuclear testing. She has contributed to the RMI NCD STEPS Survey and participated in WHO and US CDC studies on health conditions in the Marshall Islands.

She collaborates with the RMI Ministry of Health, WHO RMI Country Office, and US government health agencies on NCD prevention and tuberculosis control. She participates in the Pacific Nuclear Health Initiative, which monitors health outcomes in communities affected by nuclear testing.

Majuro Hospital provides primary and secondary care for the Marshall Islands' population. Patients requiring specialist care — including cardiology, oncology, complex surgery, and specialist paediatrics — are typically referred to Fiji (Colonial War Memorial Hospital), Hawaii (Queen's Medical Center), or the Philippines through the RMI government's medical referral programme.

International visitors to the Marshall Islands who need medical care should attend Majuro Hospital's outpatient department. Given the very limited specialist services available in the Marshall Islands, comprehensive medical evacuation insurance is strongly recommended for all visitors.

Dr. Riklon has been recognised by the RMI Ministry of Health for her clinical contributions to primary care and diabetes management at Majuro Hospital. She has received acknowledgement from the WHO Pacific Office for participation in NCD surveillance and has contributed to the Pacific Nuclear Health Initiative's clinical work.