Dialogue Fiji has expressed deep concern over what it describes as institutional inertia at Fiji’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC), warning that the country may be ill-prepared as renewed outbreaks of the highly lethal Nipah virus emerge across Asia.
Recent Nipah infections have been reported in India, Bangladesh and China, prompting heightened surveillance and the reintroduction of COVID-style airport health checks and quarantine measures in several countries.
The World Health Organization has classified Nipah as a priority pathogen with pandemic potential.
Nipah virus is among the world’s most dangerous zoonotic diseases, capable of causing severe respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis, with fatality rates ranging from 40 to 75 percent.
There is currently no licensed vaccine or definitive treatment, making prevention, surveillance and public communication critical.
“If a pathogen with a mortality rate approaching 75 percent enters a country with limited ICU capacity and surveillance infrastructure, the consequences could be catastrophic,” warned Dialogue Fiji executive director Nilesh Lal.
Dialogue Fiji questioned why Fiji’s CDC has remained largely invisible to the public, noting the absence of a public website, regular advisories or even a social media presence.
“In today’s digital era, a national disease control agency without a public information platform is institutionally moribund,” Lal said. “Public health communication is not optional — it is a core function of CDCs.”
The organisation also highlighted gaps in disease communication during last year’s major dengue outbreak, saying there were no regular public epidemiological updates despite serious illness and deaths. It further noted the lack of visible efforts to procure dengue vaccines for high-risk populations.
Similarly, Dialogue Fiji said there is no publicly accessible COVID-19 surveillance dashboard, no routine reporting, and no rollout of updated bivalent vaccines.
It added that the public has received little information on circulating respiratory viruses such as influenza A and RSV, which pose serious risks to vulnerable groups.
“Public health is built on transparency, surveillance and trust,” Lal said.
“Without real-time information, people cannot make informed decisions, and institutions lose credibility.”
Dialogue Fiji also raised concern about the absence of publicly communicated border health measures, despite travellers from recognised Nipah hotspots entering Fiji daily.
“The absence of visible border health protocols for a virus with pandemic potential is troubling,” Lal said.
“Fiji must not repeat the mistakes of the COVID-19 era, where institutional opacity undermined public confidence.”
Dialogue Fiji is calling on the Ministry of Health and the Government of Fiji to urgently revitalise the CDC, establish a transparent public disease surveillance platform and proactively communicate health risks.
“A credible and functional CDC is a cornerstone of national security and social trust,” Lal said. “We hope the CDC can once again become an institution that Fijians can rely on for timely information and guidance.”
