Shania Shayal Prasad 
Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa
Fiji is accelerating efforts to strengthen climate-resilient oral health services as rising sea levels, extreme weather, and infrastructure damage threaten access to essential care across island communities.
Speaking at the 4th Global Oral Health and Climate Action Conference, Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa said climate change has become a defining challenge for Pacific health systems, turning simple oral health issues into life-threatening conditions during disasters.
He says the country is now building cyclone-rated, solar-powered and flood-elevated health centres with rainwater harvesting and energy-efficient dental equipment to ensure continuity of care during emergencies.
Ravunawa says mobile dental units and boat-supported clinics have also been deployed to reach remote maritime communities when roads or ferry routes are disrupted.
“When the roof is gone, when water is contaminated, when the generator fails and the dental chair cannot run, a simple toothache becomes a hospital admission and a small problem becomes a lifetime burden. This is why we must act together rapidly and with purpose. The Pacific region cannot address these challenges from within silos.”
Ravunawa highlights that prevention remains the most sustainable form of care, with Fiji expanding school-based fluoride programs, reducing sugar consumption, and phasing out mercury amalgam in line with the Minamata Convention.
He adds that our long-term goal is to build a skilled, sustainable oral health workforce evenly distributed across the country to ensure equitable access for all Fijians.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
