The Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama today delivered Fiji’s statement at the United Nations General Assembly on the occasion of the High Level Meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
In his address the Prime Minister highlighted the urgent need for action by the international community to curb this global health epidemic.
Commodore Bainimarama said that in the Pacific Islands, NCDs have been declared a crisis requiring urgent action in view of the development and economic implications of NCDs.
He elaborated on Fiji’s NCD Strategic Plan 2010-2014 which targets both prevention and control.
The Prime Minister said Fiji’s national efforts to tackle NCDs could be enhanced by support from relevant international organisations and partners in the form of technical assistance, transfer of technology, capacity building and access to high quality generic medicine.
Also participating in the two-day UN High Level Meeting is the Minister for Health, Dr Neil Sharma, and Fiji's National Advisor on NCDs, Dr Isimeli Tukana.
The NCD High Level Meeting is being held at the United Nations from the 19th to the 20th of this month. Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Peter Thomson, chaired this morning’s session in his capacity as Vice Chair of the 66th session of the UNGA.
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