Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete

The Health Minister yesterday revealed that a survey conducted in 2007 showed that almost one-quarter of Fiji’s population had scabies infection.

Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says of all those infected, 45 percent were children between the age of five and nine.

Dr Waqainabete adds scabies infection in children allows bacteria to cause damages to their heart and kidney and is a common cause of rheumatic heart disease.

“The northern division had the highest prevalence of 28.5%. The prevalence was higher amongst children between five to nine with figures, up to 45%. So nearly half the children of five to nine had scabies Honorable Speaker which makes them vulnerable”.

Dr Waqainabete says the study conducted in collaboration with an Australian based Research Institute, discovered that one in two children in Fiji developed a new infestation of scabies annually.

In response to the prevalence of scabies, the Health Ministry conducted a Mass Drug Administration by visiting rural areas.

“The largest decrease was seen in that they took tablets called ivermectin so the cream cause a decrease in scabies but if somebody took tablets, it was more prevalent. In the ivermectin group it decreased at a rate of staggering 94 percent. So up to 94 percent of all those who had scabies in that who took tablets were completely healed of it when they did the review 14-21 days later”.

Dr Waqainabete says they were assisted by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of i-Taukei Affairs in addressing scabies infection between 2012 and 2013.