Fijians must take greater responsibility for their own health because the government cannot keep treating illnesses and building hospitals indefinitely.
Assistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa made the comment while urging Fijians to take greater responsibility for maintaining healthy lifestyles as part of efforts to address the country’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden.
Mr Ravunawa said Fiji’s current approach to tackling NCDs was based on strategies adopted through World Health Organization resolutions and reflected internationally accepted practices.
“The current NCD approach that we have now is the one adopted through WHO resolutions. So those are current practices,” he said.
“It’s not only for Fiji but also for the world. The thing is the behaviour of our people. That needs to change.”
Mr Ravunawa said improving health outcomes could not rely solely on medical treatment and infrastructure development.
“We cannot keep treating, we cannot keep building hospitals. Our attitude towards health is our individual choice and responsibility.”
Mr Ravunawa said the Ministry of Health’s mission was to encourage every Fijian to take ownership of their personal health.
“That is why the mission of the Ministry of Health is for every Fijian to take ownership of their health,” he said.
Mr Ravunawa also encouraged people to adopt healthier eating habits by choosing more natural foods over processed products.
“So, in that matter it is important that we start going back to nature-based food other than processed food from supermarket shops.”
