Peceli Naviticoko 
[File Photo]
Health officials in the North say hospitals continue to see an increase in severe complications caused by non-communicable diseases, from kidney failure to amputations, a trend that remains a national health crisis.
Labasa, Divisional Medical Officer North, Dr. Tiko Saumalua, says too many Fijians are being diagnosed only when their conditions have become critical.
He says NCDs account for around 80 percent of all deaths in the country.
“As we know, 80% of our people are dying from NCDs. So that requires collaboration not only between the Ministry of Health, government, and other NGOs, but with everyone because health is a very important matter.”
Dr. Saumalua stresses the urgency of regular health screening, noting that hospitals are overwhelmed with preventable complications.
He says the recently launched Bayly Trust program will bring primary health care and screening to grassroots communities, targeting risk factors and behaviour change.
Bayly Trust Board Member, Dr. Rufina Latu, says that nutrition and lifestyle choices remain at the core of NCD problem.
“The major risk factors we’re talking about here are related to nutrition. The kinds of food we eat now are increasingly composed of processed foods, and that’s not healthy. We need locally grown vegetables and foods that don’t need to be imported. In addition to nutrition, it’s also about physical activity.”
The expanded program will strengthen efforts to reduce NCD-related complications and ease the burden on Fiji’s health system.
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