The first kits arrived in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea and Nauru and supplies will reach a further nine Pacific island countries in the next two weeks, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.
The equipment was procured and delivered with support from Australia, Payne added.
Many Pacific Island countries have not had in-country capacity to test for the novel coronavirus which emerged from China late last year, and have had to send specimens overseas, including to Australia.
The kits will allow the WHO to work with Pacific health departments to achieve faster and more effective testing, with results expected in less than an hour, the Australian government said.
The whole Pacific Island region has relatively few cases of COVID-19. People have been urged to stay home with some countries imposing fines of thousands of dollars and imprisonment for breaching the tough restrictions.
