Teenagers in Fiji have access to a range of reproductive health services, but the Ministry of Health says greater awareness is needed to ensure young people know where to seek help.

Diabetes Fiji has taken Fiji’s community-based approach to diabetes care to the international stage, calling for stronger Pacific leadership and investment in the fight against non-communicable diseases.

Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, screening is being strongly encouraged for women aged 30 to 59 as part of efforts to prevent and detect cervical cancer early.

Flu-like illnesses have jumped by 75 percent in just one week, with children under five among those most affected across Fiji.

Health officials say Fiji’s HIV response is being held back by a shortage of health workers, limiting efforts to get more people tested and into treatment.

The Ministry of Health is warning of a continued risk of waterborne diseases during the current wet weather, with teams ready to investigate if cases increase in specific communities.

Funding shortages are disrupting basic health services in parts of the country, with an X-ray service shut down and outreach clinics cancelled because of staffing and overtime issues.

The Ministry of Health is strengthening efforts to detect eye diseases earlier and prevent avoidable blindness following a donation of screening and diagnostic technology from a Chinese medical team.

One in every 60 adults in Fiji is now estimated to be living with HIV, compared with one in 167 five years ago.

The Fiji College of General Practitioners is calling for a greater role for private doctors in delivering essential health services.

Residents of Waiqele and nearby communities will soon have easier access to healthcare, with construction of a new health centre now 90 percent complete.

Fiji is rapidly approaching levels of HIV that could become difficult to manage unless urgent action is taken, says Fiji Medical Association President Dr Ronald Kumar.