Fiji will host the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health in August.
Minister for Health and Medical Services, Hon. Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete said this forum would be open to 30 countries, under the unifying theme of “Enhancing the Role of Parliamentarians in Addressing Climate Change and Health”.
“It is a known fact that climate change poses a significant threat to human life not in the future but right now!” he highlighted at the 27th annual conference of the Fiji College of General Practitioner’s Western Faculty.
“As the climate continues to change, the risks to human health grows, exacerbating existing health threats and creating new public health challenges, and impacting more people in more places.
“From children to the elderly, every Fijian is vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate change, now and in the future. From rising sea levels, coastal erosion, water shortages, large scale flooding and increase in vector borne diseases the threats are real and growing, and likely to increase as impacts of climate change become more pronounced.”
The Minister noted that climate change is expected to alter the geographic and seasonal distributions of existing vectors and vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue, and other diseases spread by vectors like mosquitoes.
“As medical practitioners it is incumbent on us to be on par with our global community in responding to challenges brought about by climate change,” he urged forum participants.
The Fiji Government’s vision in health is aligned to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Universal Health Coverage (UHC) standard, which ensures that all Fijians from all walks of life have access to the health care they need without financial hardship.
Public private partnerships at the Ba and Lautoka Hospitals are part of the Fijian Government’s vision to give all Fijians the latest health care facilities and maximising the quality of health care.