A new national study has found that Indigenous iTaukei people, particularly men and young children, faced a significantly higher risk of drowning in Fiji between 2016 and 2022, while also highlighting major weaknesses in the country’s death-recording system.
The retrospective population-based study recorded 364 unintentional drowning deaths over the seven-year period, giving Fiji a drowning mortality rate of 5.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
Researchers found males were far more at risk, with a drowning rate of 9.3 per 100,000 population, compared with 2.4 for females.
Among ethnic groups, iTaukei males had the highest rate at 10.5 per 100,000, almost double the 5.9 recorded among Fijians of Indian descent. For women, the rate was also higher among iTaukei at 3.2, compared with 0.6 among Fijians of Indian descent.
The study found iTaukei boys under the age of five were the most vulnerable group, with a drowning rate of 14.9 per 100,000.
Geographically, the highest drowning risk was recorded in Kadavu and Ra provinces. Rivers were the most common sites of drowning, accounting for more than 60 per cent of known cases, followed by the ocean. More drownings also occurred during the wet season from November to April.
Researchers said the differences in risk may reflect where people live and how they interact with water. Many iTaukei communities are based along coasts, rivers and on remote islands, where daily exposure to water is greater.
The study also found serious data issues, noting that before records were cleaned, all accidental drowning deaths had been coded as “unspecified accidental drowning and submersion”, limiting the ability to understand causes and design prevention strategies.
The authors say Fiji needs stronger death certification, improved mortality data systems and culturally appropriate drowning prevention measures targeting high-risk communities.
