Page 21 - IB FEB 2018

Health

QUICK FACTS

• Around 80 percent of deaths in
Fiji are caused by NCDs

• Almost 1 in every 3 Fijians are
diagnosed with diabetes, that’s
30 percent of the population

• Obesity has risen by 8.5 per
cent with 32.1 percent of Fijian
adults now classified as obese

• Physical activity lowers the risk
of premature death and many
diseases and conditions like
stroke, high blood pressure
and heart diseases

• The annual mortality rate per
100,000 people from cancer
in Fiji has increased by 44.0%
since 1990, an average of 1.9%
a year.

decision at the end of the day. “So far, I
90 don’t know of a country that uses revenue
80 collected from this for health promotion
only - they are part of the general pool of
70
revenue to be distributed to all sectors.”
60
Regular soft drink consumption (%) 40 already have in place a NCD Strategic Plan
NCD Strategic Plans for all PICTs
50
Realising the urgency, almost all PICTs
30
with activities to prevent the four common
risk factors and adopting a multi-sectoral
20
approach where all government and non-
10
0
sibilities or sole responsibilities.
Niue Cook Tonga Tuvalu Solomon Vanuatu Kiribati government sectors have shared respon-
Islands Islands Na’ati said there were four key strate-
gies recommended in the plans.
Figure 2 — prevalence of students 13-15yo who usually drank carbonated soft “Strengthen tobacco control – raising
drinks one or more times per day during the past 30 days, GSHS, 2010-13 2 excise duty on tobacco products to at least
70 per cent of retail price and taxation and
regulation of unhealthy foods and drinks
that contribute to obesity,” she revealed.
PNG had the 3rd and 5th highest rates of governments are taking to scale up tobacco “Improve efficiency and impact of health
smoking in the world with prevalence rates control. budget by targeting primary and second-
of 67 per cent and 55 per cent. Tobacco ary prevention of NCDs and strengthen
consumption among males was quite high Where do the taxes go? evidence base for better investment plan-
in Solomon Islands at 45 per cent followed Currently, taxes from tobacco, SSB ning and programme effectiveness.”
by Tonga and Vanuatu both at 43 per cent. drinks and other contributors to NCD are She added it was important that indi-
Raising tobacco taxes, declaring smoke- not being invested in the health stream of viduals be more responsible for their own
free zones in public to protect people from respective Pacific countries. health with support from government
second-hand smoking and a compre- According to Na’ati , investing the taxes and other partners assisting to combat
hensive implementation of the tobacco collected in the health budget of the coun- the issue.
legislation are some of the actions Pacific try would be ideal but it was the country’s

Islands Business, February 2018 21
Islands Business, February 2018 21