THE Ministry of Health is looking at re-evaluating its policies on non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
While in Nadi recently, MOH national adviser for NCDs Doctor Isimeli Tukana said the ministry was working closely with the Fiji National University's research unit — CPOND — to identify which areas in national NCD policies needed to be addressed.
"For Fiji, it is about reorienting and relooking at our policies in terms of addressing NCDs and we have been re-evaluating those policies," said Dr Tukana.
He said further research was needed to determine whether current or new policies had been working.
"Our last STEP survey was conducted a few years ago and we are again working on a population survey to see whether our policies are working when it comes to addressing the issue of NCD." Dr Tukana said the sudden increase of people dying at an early age from NCD resulted in the shift of focus to young children.
He said children must be socially protected when it came to dealing with NCD.
"We've got evidence in Fiji in terms of NCDs, our people are dying at 40. There is a sudden increase in deaths at 40 so that means that if they're dying at 40 then they must be sick at 20.