Praneeta Prakash 
[File Photo]
Chief Dietitian Ateca Kama has raised concerns over the critical shortage of school health dietitians, warning that the lack of dedicated personnel is undermining efforts to improve nutrition and food security in schools.
Speaking before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Kama revealed that only one dedicated school health dietitian is currently responsible for supporting thousands of schools across the country.
Kama says Fiji has fewer than 180 registered dietitians in total, and in some subdivisions, there may be only two or three dietitians managing multiple roles.
“Our number is less than 180 registered at the moment. Because of that, we can only serve and work with our communities. A dietician in a hospital has three core businesses: clinical dietetics, food service management, and public health nutrition or food and nutrition security.”
She says the impact is felt particularly in boarding schools, where monitoring menus and food preparation practices is crucial for student health.
“We have dedicated school health dieticians who visit schools on an annual basis, inspecting school canteens, inspecting school gardens and if they are boarding schools, they also look at the menu that are provided at the boarding schools. But because of our numbers, there’s only one dedicated dietician for school health. Tere’s perhaps two or three dieticians in the subdivision.”
Kama says that while educational tools and training packages are ready, a significant investment in human resources is urgently needed to implement these strategies effectively.
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