Health

NCD a global challenge: Dr Waqainabete

April 6, 2019 6:55 am

The challenge of non-communicable diseases is not only limited to Fiji as it’s a global issue.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete, says there’s a global commitment to reduce NCD’s and child obesity.

Responding to Opposition on what government can do to restrict advertisements on processed and junk foods in parliament yesterday, Dr Waqainabete says government has already rolled out a number of actions.

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He says this includes the increase of taxes on certain products.

“Government has been working on taxes – we’ve increased taxes around tobacco and alcohol and so forth and reduce taxes on imported fruits. The other one is that the Agriculture Minister has been talking about increasing the supply chain of agricultural produce and ensuring we have food security.”

The World Health Organization is working with health ministries around the globe to strengthen policies and health systems to reduce the burden of NCDs.

These NCDs include cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic diseases and diabetes to name a few.