A baseline study on the prevalence of scabies in Fiji will be rolled out before treatment in communities come into effect.

A baseline study on the prevalence of scabies in Fiji will be rolled out before treatment in communities come into effect.

The World Scabies Program over the next four years in partnership with the Health Ministry will offer treatment to everyone regardless of whether they have scabies or not.

The oral drug ivermectin is a highly effective community-based treatment which has been used on more than one billion people.

WSP Fiji Steering Committee vice-chair, Dr Josefa Koroivueta says the national program will help eliminate the disease.

“It’s the first time that Fiji will be doing it on a national basis. The world is looking towards Fiji to be the model country whereby they can learn from. From the good practices that we have done here, from the strength that Fiji has. What are the shortfalls? What we have done in that particular journey over those years. But looking down those years – what we hope to achieve is the elimination of scabies as a public health problem in Fiji.”

Dr Koroivueta says it’s been identified that children with scabies are sometimes neglected.

“It deals with sanitation and hygienic practices. The environment that they live in. The overcrowding. The climate that prevails within the family. Because with overcrowding there is always sharing of clothing in that matter, need proper attention to their healthcare and accessibility to healthcare.”

The only exceptions to the treatment are pregnant women and children under the age of five.