RECENT national health data has exposed a severe and largely hidden diabetes crisis across Fiji, prompting urgent warnings from public health leaders.
According to the latest Fiji National Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors STEPS Survey, 16.5 per cent of adults aged 18 to 69 are living with diabetes, while another 28.6 per cent have pre-diabetes.
Diabetes Fiji Incorporated executive director Kini Marawa said only 46.5 per cent of those identified with the condition were previously aware of their diagnosis, meaning more than half were living with untreated diabetes.
Mr Marawa said only about one-third of diagnosed individuals receive treatment, and just 6.2 per cent have achieved effective blood glucose control.
“Behind every percentage is a person. Behind every diagnosis is a family. Behind every preventable complication is an opportunity for society to have acted earlier,” he said.
Mr Marawa said findings also challenge the assumption that chronic illness only affects older citizens, revealing that 46.3 per cent of young adults aged 18 to 29 have never had their blood glucose measured, underscoring an immediate need for widespread preventive screening.
