Study highlights lack of healthier food options
IN Fiji, NCDs such as diabetes and obesity-related illnesses are the leading causes of death and disability with healthcare costs recorded at $591million in 2019.
At this rate, the costs incurred by the Health Ministry is expected to reach 7 per cent of the gross domestic product by 2060.
Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Jemesa Tudravu said this during the multi-sectoral stakeholders’ workshop on food systems and nutrition in Fiji in Suva on Friday.
The study findings highlighted the lack of healthier food options in and around schools, various barriers to nutritional practices including affordability.
Dr Tudravu said good nutrition was a critical preventive factor for NCDs.
He said considering this, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has enacted a series of policies includes the policy guiding civil servants across all ministries on healthy catering services and the wellness strategic plan.
However, Dr Tudravu says despite these efforts, obesity persists to be a public health challenge in Fiji, going by recent statistics.
“Therefore, the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to assist with climate change and disaster responses to scale up initiatives which can mitigate these effects,” Dr Tudravu said.
“Beyond this, there is also the role of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection where we a see a need to create a linkage to; such that social protection cash transfer programs could also include health and nutrition education as part of the cash assistance package.
“So that households receiving cash assistance support could prioritise healthy food expenditure from their cash assistance.” “To ensure that high risk population groups such as young children, pregnant women, and those with chronic illnesses, are cushioned against unhealthy food choices; we see a need to find a way that cash assistance among households could potentially include additional cash tops-ups, to ensure that these vulnerable groups are cushioned against unhealthy food choices.”
He adds the Ministry of Health and UNICEF were working together with various national sectors to promote and support healthy lifestyles from the legislative to the grassroot community level.