Non-communicable diseases that are prevalent today also affect the physical well-being of a proportion of Fiji’s population.

United Blind Person of Fiji Events Chair, Rajnel Raj says this can be proven with the increase in number of Fijians registered with them who are visually impaired and is a direct consequences of NCD’s.

Raj says this is a concern for the UBPF as it has so far received more than 300 registrations and the figure continues to increase.

“There’s a lot of vision impairment, people are getting blind due to NCD issues like diabetes and all. At the moment there is about 80% of the total amount that are totally blind and there are about 30 to 40 % roughly I would say that have low vision, meaning low sighted people”.

Meanwhile, the UBPF launched their weeklong White Cane event yesterday.

Raj says this is an opportune time for Fijians to create awareness and express their concerns to various service providers in Fiji.