Dr. David Mano

Dr. David Mano is a senior medical officer at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara, the Solomon Islands' only tertiary-level hospital and the primary referral centre for the nation's 700,000 people spread across nearly 1,000 islands. With 12 years of clinical experience, Dr. Mano is a broadly experienced general practitioner who manages the full spectrum of medical presentations encountered in the Solomon Islands' challenging health environment.

The Solomon Islands carries a high burden of malaria — among the highest in the Pacific — as well as tuberculosis, typhoid, respiratory infections, and an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases including hypertension and diabetes. Dr. Mano's practice encompasses these acute and chronic conditions, as well as obstetric emergencies and paediatric care, reflecting the generalist demands of medicine in a resource-limited Pacific island setting.

Dr. Mano is fluent in English and Solomon Islands Pijin, the widely spoken creole language, enabling effective communication with patients from across the nation's diverse linguistic groups. He is involved in clinical supervision of junior medical officers and nursing staff at NRH.

Dr. Mano completed his MBBS at the Fiji School of Medicine in Suva — a common training pathway for medical graduates from Pacific island nations. He subsequently completed a Graduate Certificate in Tropical Medicine, gaining advanced skills in the diagnosis and management of malaria, tuberculosis, and other tropical infectious diseases endemic to Melanesia.

He has completed short courses in emergency medicine, obstetric emergencies (EmONC), and paediatric care through the Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN) and WHO Pacific Office. He regularly attends the Pacific Health Summit and Solomon Islands Medical Association Annual Meeting.

Dr. Mano's clinical expertise centres on the management of tropical infectious diseases, particularly malaria — including severe falciparum malaria — typhoid fever, leptospirosis, and tuberculosis. He is experienced in the management of acute medical emergencies in a resource-limited setting, including obstetric emergencies, acute respiratory distress, and severe dehydration.

For non-communicable diseases, Dr. Mano manages hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular risk using guidelines adapted for the Pacific context. He provides antenatal care and child health services, including immunisation, growth monitoring, and acute illness management in children.

Dr. Mano is dedicated to serving Solomon Islands communities and contributing to the improvement of health outcomes in one of the Pacific's most geographically challenging health environments. He has contributed to malaria surveillance reports through the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and has presented clinical case series at the Solomon Islands Medical Association Annual Meeting.

He participates in the Pacific Malaria Initiative (PacMal) surveillance network and collaborates with WHO Solomon Islands Country Office on communicable disease control activities. His priority is building practical clinical capacity among health workers across the island provinces of the Solomon Islands.

The National Referral Hospital in Honiara serves as the highest level of care available within the Solomon Islands. Complex cases requiring specialist care — cardiology, neurosurgery, complex oncology — are referred to Fiji or Australia. Patients from provincial islands throughout the Solomon Islands are referred to NRH for care beyond local health centre capacity.

International patients and medical visitors are welcome at NRH. For patients considering medical travel, it is important to note that specialist services are limited in the Solomon Islands, and complex conditions are best addressed in Fiji or Australia. Dr. Mano can provide advice on the scope of care available at NRH and appropriate referral options.

Dr. Mano has been recognised by the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services for his clinical contribution to malaria control at the National Referral Hospital. He received a commendation from the Solomon Islands Medical Association for his role in training junior medical officers and his participation in the national COVID-19 response.