A call to protect your heart has been echoed by Dr Devina Nand, Head of Wellness at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, who says heart disease can often hide in plain sight.
Speaking at the launch of World Heart Month at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Dr Nand says a person can look healthy, go to work every day, care for their family and participate fully in the community, yet still be living with high blood pressure, high blood sugar and other cardiovascular risk factors.
She says sometimes the first warning is a stroke or a heart attack, and tragically, the warning can come too late.
Dr Nand says earlier this year, the Ministry launched the 2025 STEPS survey for Fiji, which is the country’s most comprehensive picture to date of NCD risk among adults aged 18 to 69.
She says the results should make us stop and reflect on what we are doing as a programme and as a nation, with approximately 37 percent of adults found to have raised blood sugar.
She says 17 percent were newly diagnosed with diabetes, while 68 percent of adults are either overweight or obese.
Dr Nand says one in three adults use tobacco, while nine out of every ten adults do not consume the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.
She adds that people consume approximately 10 grammes of salt a day, which is twice the recommended maximum of five grammes.
Dr Nand says most concerning of all is that 98.5 percent of adults aged 18 to 69 have at least one major NCD risk factor.
Insert: Dr Nand on stats, 1st Sep 26
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran challenged every Fijian to play a critical role in reducing this burden, saying cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Fiji and claims nearly 3,000 lives annually.
Kiran says heart disease and strokes claim roughly eight lives every day across the country.
She says beyond the devastating human toll, Fiji loses an estimated 119 million dollars annually in productivity due to cardiovascular disease.
Kiran says these figures show that Fiji cannot afford to be complacent, as heart health is not something we can take for granted or only think about when we feel unwell.
The Minister is urging every Fijian to prioritise regular health checks, saying small preventive steps taken today can help prevent catastrophic heartbreak tomorrow.
The launch was also marked by the lighting of the Grand Pacific Hotel, InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, and Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Hospital.
Holiday Inn has pledged to light up its hotel on the 29th of this month to mark World Heart Day.
