Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s message during the opening of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions Forum in Nadi yesterday focused on the increasing incidences of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in our region. He says it points to a pressing need for sustainable agrifood systems.
Participants were told that climate change was an existential threat on agricultural productivity, food security, and it further exacerbated the prevalence of NCDs and weakened our natural and genetic immune systems.
NCDs were also leading causes of deaths in our region, he said, and that underscored the urgent need for integrated solutions for both public health and sustainable agrifood systems.
And we are reminded that our agrifood systems are also in danger.
So while we are blessed with fertile, arable land and abundant marine resources, we must be alert to the realities of unsustainable practices, invasive species and increasing frequency and force of climate disasters.
We have been talking about NCDs now for quite some time on the local front! We do that again today!
If there’s something that stands out, it is the lack of urgency to effectively deal with this major challenge right here at home.
Let’s face it, it is actually easier and cheaper to have unhealthy meals for starters here.
It’s affordable and quite a large number of Fijians have actually developed a taste for unhealthy meals. They are falling back on fast foods, and fizzy drinks as a means to quench their thirst for instance.
There are children who will shrug aside fresh vegetables and healthy soups for instance for a quick fix of unhealthy meals. It is affordable anyway! And most times, for many children, it is the only choice available!
They will opt for brightly coloured well packaged snacks ahead of fresh fruits.
It’s a lifestyle thing! We are nurturing a process that makes this the norm. That it is no big deal living with unhealthy habits. And it is changing mindsets.
Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu told Parliament earlier this year NCDs were the leading cause of mortality for Fijians.
We have spoken many times about NCDs before and highlighted the need for us all to be engaged.
Empowered communities mean more knowledge about NCDs, and more engagement.
In April this year, the Ministry of Health said NCDs accounted for a staggering 80 per cent of all deaths in Fiji and caused 40 per cent of premature deaths.
Chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory illnesses, exact a heavy toll on individuals, families, and our economy.
On November 26 last year, we reported that NCDs had cost the public sector $192m in lost productivity while indirectly costing a total of $399m.
We have spoken many times about community-driven initiatives, tailored to address specific local needs and challenges.
We hope people will be empowered to take charge of their health, and we also hope to see initiatives focused on creating awareness about factors such as diets, and better understanding and appreciation of medical options and medicines.
We also look up to the powers that be to consider policies that can empower us and assist us to make healthy choices. It may not be cheap for every Fijian to opt for a healthy diet right now, however, there is hope that we will all be empowered to make choices within our budgets in the future.
So we look up to the powers that be to consider ways to ease that burden. Considering a healthy choice is one thing, the issue is affordability!
We also reflect on other factors that make up the healthy living option, like embracing the need for exercises daily and considering stress factors.
We need a change in mindset to effectively fight this NCD challenge, otherwise we will all just be talking about it till the cows come home!
