MORE than 90,000 Fijians are now aged 60 years and over, accounting for more than one in every 10 people in the country.
Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran said the figure highlighted the growing importance of ensuring older persons remain included, protected and supported in national development.
In a statement, Ms Kiran said Fiji’s national report on ageing must be evidence-based and reflect the lived experiences of older persons across the country.
“Our elders are not only part of our past,” Ms Kiran said.
“They are the foundation of our present and remain important to our future.”
Ms Kiran made the comments following the opening of the National Validation workshop on Fiji’s Voluntary National Survey for the Fifth Asia-Pacific Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.
The two-day workshop brings together Government representatives, the National Council for Older Persons, HART Homes, non-governmental organisations and civil society to review and strengthen the national survey ahead of its submission for the regional review in 2027.
The process will consider the experiences of older persons in urban, rural, maritime and island communities, including older women, persons with disabilities, caregivers and those who worked mainly in the informal sector.
Fiji’s Draft National Ageing Policy 2026–2035 identifies six priority areas, including social protection and financial security, health and aged care, transport and accessibility, digital inclusion, climate-resilient infrastructure and legal protection.
Government support includes the Social Pension Scheme, transport assistance, free general practitioner services and investment in aged-care facilities.
