Fiji College of General Practitioners (FCGP) president Dr Rajesh Maharaj says non-communicable diseases (NCDs) impose huge challenges to all practitioners, leading to disastrous complications of premature deaths debilitating mobility, physical incapacity.
Additionally, NCDs are also a huge financial burden to individuals and the government.
Speaking at the 29th FCGP annual conference last Friday, he said the STEPS survey 2011 revealed very worrying statistics.
“A third of our population is hypertensive, 16.6 per cent smoke daily, 14.4 per cent are diabetics, 60.6 per cent are either obese or overweight and 85 per cent of those surveyed eat less than five combined servings of fruits and vegetables per day,” he said.
“From this survey, we have learnt that whatever preventative strategy that had been implemented hasn’t worked and now the big question remains, what will work?
“We know that NCDs are a cause of extreme suffering and pain to individuals and families and so we cannot leave this crisis unchallenged.”
Dr Maharaj said a fighting spirit was needed and reminded the public that a solution existed.
“I request that we take responsibility in educating our children and adults to eat healthy, exercise regularly, avoid smoking and alcohol and undertake adequate sleep.”
He added that in following previous conferences, they had failed to formulate guidelines but it was important to note that the three-day conference held at the Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort last week formed important collaborations between FCGP and the Ministry of Health.
