One in every three Fijian is diabetic – Dr Dasi

One in every three Fijian is diabetic with around 1,500 diabetic people in Nausori.

While presenting statistics on non communicable diseases at the 143rd Girmit Commemoration Program in Syria Park in Nausori, the Senior Divisional Medical Officer Rewa Dr Sravaniya Dasi says 60% of diabetics in Nausori are Indo-Fijians and out of the 1,500, 40% diabetics are Indo-Fijian women.

Dasi adds Fiji has an alarming 82% of deaths due to non-communicable diseases like heart attacks, kidney failure and strokes which is higher than the global rate of 75%.

She says a national STEPS survey conducted in 2011 stated that 31% of Fijians between the ages of 25-65 smoke, 15.6% consume alcohol on a regular basis and 85% of all Fijians do not eat more than one servings of fruits and vegetables.