Widespread anaemia across all age groups is a national concern, says Head of Wellness at the Health Ministry, Dr Devina Nand.

She said the latest National Nutrition Survey revealed alarming rates of anaemia in a country with rich soil and abundant local produce.

According to Dr Nand, poor diets, heavy reliance on processed foods, and unhealthy lunch box choices are fuelling anaemia, childhood obesity and other nutrition-related diseases.

She is urging families to promote breastfeeding, prioritise fresh local foods and cut down on processed products.

“If you’re somebody who prepares food, who is responsible for the food in your family, you get the power to choose what you feed. Is it healthy or unhealthy? Is it local? Go local. So as a small island developing state, where do we stand? Can we do better from here or are there still a lot of gaps that need to be addressed going forward? That’s a cross-sectorial question and I think we can. I think Fiji has been a leader on so many fronts and if we synergize properly agriculture, fisheries, Ministry of Health, education, Ministry of Women, children and social risk protection, we are, you know, if we work together, I think there’s a huge, huge way we can do this.”

Dr Nand stressed that proper nutrition is critical for a child’s development and learning, warning that Fiji is also facing a rise in non-communicable diseases among children.

She called for coordinated action across government, agriculture, education, fisheries, and the private sector to tackle the crisis.

National Food and Nutrition Centre Acting Manager Kriti Prasad said Fiji faces the triple burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies with anaemia among the biggest challenges.

“So we also encourage homegrown vegetables or home gardening. It would be lovely to have people doing their own gardens, not only just for food, but also as a form of physical activity. And it also becomes a family time, so it’s like a holistic approach to it.”

Prasad advised families to plan shopping lists, monitor salt, sugar, and fat content, and read food labels carefully.  

She added that the Health Ministry, together with the Consumer Council continues to monitor imported products to protect public health.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.