More than 66% of the households surveyed visited hospitals for water borne diseases - FCOSS

Over 66% of the households surveyed visited hospitals for waterborne diseases, while over 10% frequently visited health facilities on the same issue.

This was stated by the Executive Director of the Fiji Council of Social Services, Vani Catanasiga who says, this mainly occurs after disasters and emergencies or when there is a lack of water supply in the communities and when their water source is contaminated.

Catanasiga says it was also to evaluate the vulnerable families living in isolation who were affected by cyclones have access to basic hygiene supplies to support them and prevent the virus from spreading in their communities.

The Executive Director says a majority of Fijians spent $20 to $50 a month on hospital visits and related costs.

Catanasiga also says 40 community leaders are members of their network who acted as enumerators and rolled out a Water And Sanitation Hygiene Survey with 500 respondents mostly from the informal communities and villages from the 4 divisions.

She says their members work at sub-national levels and they have also worked to support medical and clinical aspects of the response, particularly in Nausori.

Catanasiga further says FCOSS has been a membership-based organization since 1957 and they have done some work in responding to the threat of COVID-19 in Fiji.