Fiji lacks expertise for dengue fever

Fiji lacks the expertise and manpower to tackle a dengue fever outbreak.

That was the revelation by Director for National Dengue Program, Simione Radakua to Heath stakeholders at the Dengue Fever workshop in Suva.

Radakua said since taking up office early this year, he has noted that one of the major problems was that whenever they sent people overseas for training they would be roped into other sectors and that Fiji did not have an entomologist or a specialist doctor that deals with illnesses.

Radakua informed Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor Sala Saketa that if nothing was done to look into the issue, Fiji would follow in the footsteps of other Asia Pacific countries and have uncontrolled outbreak right throughout the country.

Fiji was one of the 10 Pacific countries that reported an outbreak last year with over 300 cases reported, luckily there were no deaths reported.