Dr. Pelsin David

Dr. Pelsin David is a public health physician at Pohnpei State Hospital and the FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs, leading disease surveillance, NCD prevention, and communicable disease control programmes for the Federated States of Micronesia. With 9 years of public health experience, Dr. David is one of FSM's leading public health practitioners.

The Federated States of Micronesia has one of the Pacific's most severe NCD epidemics — rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are among the world's highest — alongside a persistent communicable disease burden including tuberculosis, dengue, and typhoid. Dr. David works to address both priorities through evidence-based surveillance, prevention programmes, and health promotion campaigns across FSM's four states: Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap, and Kosrae.

Dr. David is bilingual in English and Pohnpeian and has professional working knowledge of public health systems in both the Pacific regional context and the US-affiliated Compact of Free Association framework that shapes FSM's health system financing.

Dr. David completed both his MD and Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Hawaii — a common training pathway for FSM medical graduates under the Compact of Free Association. His MPH focused on chronic disease epidemiology and health systems in Pacific island nations.

He has completed WHO Field Epidemiology Training (FETP Pacific) and participated in NCD prevention training through the Pacific Community (SPC) and US CDC Pacific Region. He completed a public health fellowship at the Hawaii Department of Health, gaining experience in population-based surveillance and community health promotion.

Dr. David's expertise encompasses NCD surveillance using STEPS methodology, communicable disease outbreak investigation and response, immunisation programme management, and community health promotion programme design and evaluation. He manages FSM's national NCD STEPS Survey implementation and contributes to FSM's national health strategic planning.

He coordinates FSM's tuberculosis and dengue surveillance in collaboration with WHO and the Pacific Community (SPC), and advises the FSM Department of Health on evidence-based NCD prevention policy. He also manages environmental health activities including water quality monitoring and food safety in Pohnpei.

Dr. David is dedicated to serving FSM's communities through public health research and evidence-based programming. He has contributed to the FSM NCD STEPS Survey and presented findings at the Pacific NCD Forum and Pacific Public Health Conference.

He collaborates with the Pacific Community (SPC), WHO Western Pacific, and US CDC on Pacific NCD and communicable disease surveillance, and contributes to the Pacific NCD Alliance advocacy network. His work on FSM's tobacco control programme has informed national tobacco legislation.

As a public health physician, Dr. David's primary focus is population health. He can provide advisory consultations to international organisations, US government agencies working under the Compact of Free Association, NGOs, and development partners interested in FSM's health situation.

For individual patient clinical care in FSM, patients should contact Pohnpei State Hospital's clinical departments. Comprehensive medical evacuation insurance is strongly recommended for all visitors to FSM given the limited specialist services available.

Dr. David has received formal recognition from the FSM Department of Health for his significant contributions to the national non-communicable disease prevention programme and tuberculosis control activities over his 9-year career. He received the Pacific Community (SPC) Public Health Excellence Commendation — awarded to public health practitioners making outstanding contributions to Pacific regional health outcomes.

He received a US CDC Pacific Region acknowledgment for his participation in Pacific disease surveillance activities, including FSM's contribution to the Pacific Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) system. He has been acknowledged by WHO FSM Country Office for his contributions to health data quality improvement and epidemic preparedness planning in Pohnpei State. He contributes to FSM public health workforce training and mentors community health workers in disease surveillance methods.