A representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation says there is a need for serious investment in programmes to improve the access of at-risk households to nutritious foods and to lower the cost of eating healthy in Fiji.
In the Pacific alone, on average, Non-communicable diseases account for 70% of all deaths and in Fiji that number is 80%.
A Policy Officer for the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Country Office Dr. Tim Martyn says to prevent serious diseases we need access to good nutritious food but this is often not readily available or affordable for many.
He says people are making choices to buy the food they can afford and too often what is affordable is what is making them sick.
Martyn says the tragedy is that most of the deaths from non-communicable diseases are preventable.
He says to contribute towards a resolution of the crisis, a meeting is taking place at the Grand Pacific Hotel from tomorrow to Wednesday and it will be a result of a year-long process indeveloping a draft Global Action Plan to address the growing crisis in food and nutrition.
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