Shania Shayal Prasad 
Health authorities in the Western Division are stepping up frontline defences against disease outbreaks as heavy rainfall and flooding heighten public health risks.
Health professionals from across the division are undergoing an intensive three-day Divisional Outbreak Response Training, aimed at strengthening early detection and rapid response to communicable disease threats.
The annual training brings together doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, health inspectors and public health officers from Sigatoka, Nadi, Rakiraki, Tavua, Lautoka and Ba, forming a coordinated, multi-disciplinary response network.
Facilitated by the Fiji Centre for Disease Control and the Environmental Health Unit, with support from the World Health Organisation, the programme focuses on practical, hands-on skills critical during high-risk weather periods.
Participants are being trained in enhanced disease surveillance, data analysis, and laboratory testing, clinical management and public health interventions to ensure swift containment of potential outbreaks.
A key outcome of the training is the development of actionable outbreak response plans tailored specifically for the Western Division, improving coordination and decision-making during health emergencies.
Officials say the initiative significantly boosts local preparedness, strengthening the division’s ability to protect communities and respond effectively to emerging infectious disease threats.
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