Shania Shayal Prasad 
Fiji 2025 STEPS Survey shows that nearly two out of every three families are affected by NCDs, with cardiac events and diabetes-related complications increasingly claiming lives of people aged 35 and below.
Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu says inactivity, smoking, unhealthy diets, and sugary drinks continue to fuel the crisis, stressing that tackling NCDs requires more than targeting one product and calls for a holistic shift in lifestyle choices.
Dr Lalabalavu says many people remain unaware they are living with conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes because they do not attend health screenings, leading to late diagnosis and severe complications.
“But if not, if you do not learn from the mistakes of your elders, we will continue this path of destruction in terms of people dying young, people being immobilized because of amputations and so forth, dialysis. So my message to the younger generation, in order to take this seriously, please learn from the mistakes of your elders.”
In response, the Health Ministry has increased funding for outreach clinics, providing free screenings for blood sugar, blood pressure, and body mass index, while strengthening awareness efforts in communities.
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