Suki consumption in Fiji will be included for the first time in the national STEPSwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) survey earmarked for next year.
A STEPS survey is carried out by the Ministry of Health every 10 years to gauge the country’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) profile.
Speaking to The Fiji Times, director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health Dr Devina Nand said the survey parameters would be expanded to include new conditions and risk factors, including suki consumption.
“We’ve expanded some questions around tobacco and also included some kava questions around suki consumption, because really we don’t know how much of our population is consuming suki v the manufactured cigarettes,” Dr Nand said.
The last STEPS survey for Fiji was carried out in 2011.
