Praneeta Prakash 
Source: Fiji Government / Facebook
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the Ministry of Health will explore expanding the Essential Medicines List to include key lupus medications.
Rabuka says the Ministry will work with the Pharmacy Board to ensure consistent national stock availability and encouraging public-private partnerships to support affordability and access.
He highlighted this during “Dancing with Lupus” annual dinner fundraiser in Suva last night.
The Prime Minister says lupus medications such as hydroxychloroquine, immunosuppressant, and steroids are essential but often unaffordable.
He says the government promises to support to train frontline health workers especially nurses, specialists and related expertise with the skills to detect Lupus early a commitment to catching the quiet disease before it speaks loud.
Rabuka says while lupus might be invisible to the naked eye, the pain, fatigue, cost of treatment, and the emotional burden were all too real.
He says the government will work toward ensuring that lupus was represented in national NCD strategies, wellness programmes, and chronic disease frameworks.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to backing initiatives to explore deployment of rheumatology services beyond Suva so that patients in the North, West, and maritime regions do not have to travel long distances to get care.
He stresses the need to strengthen partnership with medical schools and overseas institutions to expand specialist training and ensure affordable access to medications and care.
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