HE PRESIDENT RT. NAIQAMA LALABALAVU'S ADDRESS TO OPEN THE NATIONAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION SUMMIT

10/12/2025


Ni sa Bula Vinaka:
  • Honorable Cabinet Ministers;
  • Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
  • Development Partners,
  • Civil Society Leaders,
  • Permanent Secretaries,
  • Members of our health workforce, and
  • Fellow Fijians here and across our islands.
 
Ni sa Bula Vinaka, Namaste, and a very good morning to you all.
I acknowledge and thank you for your presence here this morning.
I am delighted to be here this morning to open this necessary and timely National Health Transformation Summit.

Please allow me to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land that we gather on today.
Ni bera niu tekivu, au vakavinavinaka ki na Vanua o’ Muaivuso, vua na Turaga na Rokobaleni ena noda rawa ni sota ena mataka nikua ena nodra bosea na Tabacakacaka ni Bula na kena vakavinakataki na noda Valenibula kei na Tabacakacaka ni Bula.

Today, we gather for something far greater than a Summit.
We gather for a promise to our people—a promise that the health of every Fijian matters, that their lives matter, and that their future matters.
This is a day of profound national significance.
 
It is a day when we choose to confront our challenges, and to rise above them with unity, courage, and hope.
 
I recently visited the headquarters of the Founder of the free Children’s Hospital that is based in Muanikau, the Sai Prema Hospital.
 
The Founder is the Spiritual Leader of the “One World One Family Global Humanitarian Mission,” Sri Madhusudan Sai is his name, he is the successor to Sathya Sai Baba.
 
The Sai Baba philosophy of “Love All Serve All, Help Ever, Hurt Never” is manifested in the operation of state of the art specialty hospitals in India, Fiji, U.S.A. and Nigeria, where all services are free and directed towards the poor.
 
The same concept applies at the Sai Prema Hospital in Muanikau, Nasese, where over 420 children have received life-saving heart surgery, at no cost to their families.
 
That transformative philosophy, that even the poor deserve the highest standards of health-care, delivered with love, is amazing to see in action.
 
It is also why I am supportive of the plans to build and operate a medical specialty educational institute and research center at Nasese.
 
I am glad that the Honorable Prime Minister and Minister for Health are also supportive of these plans.
 
1. A MOMENT THAT DEFINES US

Ladies and Gentlemen, this Fiji Health Transformation Summit is a turning point in our nation’s story.
 
The evidence is clear, and the message is consistent: our health system, though full of dedicated people and proud achievements, must evolve to meet the realities of a changing Fiji.
 
But this moment is not defined by the obstacles before us.

It is defined by our determination to overcome the obstacles before us!

Today, we begin a journey to:
  •  rebuild trust,
  • to renew purpose, and
  • to reaffirm our shared belief that every Fijian deserves the chance to live a healthy, full, and dignified life.
 
2. WHY WE MUST TRANSFORM — The Human Story Behind the Statistics

For too long, the burden of disease—especially Noncommunicable diseases —has stolen our loved ones too soon.
 
Behind every statistic is a mother, a father, a child, a neighbour.

These are not numbers. These are our people.
Our population is changing.
Our young people face new pressures.
Our older citizens need stronger support.
 
Communities in rural and maritime areas deserve the same quality of care as those in our cities ad towns.
 
Climate change, new infections, mental health challenges, and illicit drugs are reshaping the world around us.
 
The truth is simple and urgent:
If we do not transform now, we risk failing those who depend on us the most.
 
3. WHAT TRANSFORMATION REALLY MEANS

Transformation is not a technical term.
It is a human commitment to make our health system “fit for purpose.”
It means a health system where:
  • No child dies from a preventable disease;
  • No mother fears childbirth because of distance or cost;
  • No family is pushed into poverty because of illness;
  • No Fijian feels forgotten—whether in the heart of Suva or on the most remote island.
  •  
It means a transformed health system that is:
  • built around people,
  • anchored in compassion,
  • strengthened by data and technology, and
  • guided by accountability and integrity.

Transformation means embracing a simple truth:
That good health is not a privilege and in fact, good health is a right.
 
And in Fiji, it is a right enshrined in our Constitution and entrusted to us as leaders and citizens.
 
4. BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A HEALTHIER FIJI

The National Vision 2050 is our compass.
 
It reminds us that a healthy nation is a resilient nation—one capable of rising above adversity and shaping its own destiny.
 
To transform health in Fiji, we must build the structures that allow change to take root:
  • Modernised primary health care that reaches people where they are;
  • Digital systems that give every Fijian a seamless, connected experience of care;
  • Strong laws and policies that ensure fairness, quality, and safety;
  • A workforce that is respected, supported, and empowered; and
  • Governance that stands on the pillars of integrity, transparency, and trust.
This is the infrastructure of transformation—not of buildings alone, but of systems, values, and purpose.
 
5. OUR DUTY TO THE NATION

The Constitution guarantees every Fijian the highest attainable standard of health.

This is not symbolic. It is a solemn duty.
A President’s responsibility is to safeguard the well-being of the nation.
 
And today, I say this with conviction: Transforming our health system is the greatest act of national protection we can offer our people.
 
6. HEALTH AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT — ONE AND THE SAME

Our National Development Plan and Fiji Health Compact place health at the heart of the progress we intend to make.
 
A strong health system means a strong workforce, a strong economy, and strong communities.
 
The PHIT (Pacific Health Islands Transformation) investment which is supported by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and our partners—positions Fiji as a regional leader in resilience, innovation, and universal health coverage.
 
Health transformation is not an input to development. It is the engine of development.
 
7. A CALL TO LEAD WITH COURAGE AND UNITY

Over the next three days of your deliberations, I ask you to think beyond institutions and mandates.

Think about the families who cannot be represented here today but whose lives will be shaped by the decisions you make.
 
To the health workers: You are the backbone of this country. We honour your sacrifices, and the transformation of our health system will honour this too.
 
To our partners: We will walk this path together, bound by shared purpose and hope.
This Summit must deliver a Fiji Health Transformation Compact that reflects our unity, our integrity, and our courage.
 
Let this be the moment when Fiji stood tall and declared: We choose a healthier future for all our people.
 
8. AN ANNUAL COMMITMENT TO ACCOUNTABILITY

To ensure this momentum never fades, may I respectfully request that the Asian Development Bank to co-host this Summit annually with the Ministry of Health.
 
Let this become our national scorecard—an open, honest, transparent measure of how we serve our people.
 
“Accountability is not criticism, rather, accountability is love for the country.”
 
CLOSING — A FUTURE WORTH BUILDING

A transformed health system will give Fiji stronger families, thriving communities, and a generation armed with the confidence to dream without fear.
 
Let us rise together.
Let us act together.
Let us build a future where every Fijian—every single one—has the chance to thrive.
 
With humility and innate confidence in our collective strength, I now declare the Fiji Health Transformation Summit 2025 officially open.
 
May God bless you all,
May God Bless the Republic of Fiji.
Vinaka vakalevu, Dhaanyavaad, Thank you.