Improving early detection of infectious diseases and listening directly to health workers about challenges affecting services are among the key priorities of Fiji's new Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr Aalisha Sahu Khan.
Speaking after the launch of the STRIDES programme at Twomey Hospital in Tamavua, Dr Sahu Khan says Fiji continues to face outbreaks of dengue fever, leptospirosis, typhoid fever and seasonal influenza.
She says this makes it important to strengthen the country's ability to detect diseases early and respond quickly.
She says one of the Ministry's priorities is to ensure laboratories have enough testing supplies and that reliable systems are in place to transport medical samples from remote communities for testing.
Dr Sahu Khan says improving these services will help health authorities identify disease threats earlier and respond before outbreaks spread further.
She says the newly launched Strengthening Infectious Disease Detection Systems (STRIDES) programme, supported by the United States Government, will help strengthen laboratory services, disease monitoring and the skills of health workers.
The Permanent Secretary says Fiji must also remain prepared for new viruses and future pandemics.
However, she stresses that improvements made through the programme must be sustained in the long term rather than ending when project funding ends.
Meanwhile, Dr Sahu Khan says she plans to visit health facilities around the country during her first few weeks in office to hear directly from health workers about the challenges they face.
She says although she has previously worked within the Ministry and is familiar with many of its challenges, she wants to understand what is happening on the ground and identify issues that may be affecting the delivery of health services.
Dr Sahu Khan says she intends to work closely with health workers to address these challenges and strengthen services for Fijians.
On Fiji's HIV epidemic, she says the Ministry already has a dedicated Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Unit working on programmes to address the issue.
She further says more than four decades of international experience in HIV prevention and treatment have produced proven approaches that can be applied in communities across Fiji.
Dr Sahu Khan adds that her role is to support the existing team, identify challenges affecting the team's work and help strengthen the programmes already being implemented.
