The Ministry of Health has donated patient monitors and blood pressure machines to the Health Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in a move that will boost NCD prevention efforts and strengthen church-led community health outreach.
The initiative is co-sponsored by PeopleMed, a US-based NGO founded by Dr. Nivita Sharma, a Fiji-born medical officer who continues to support her home country.
Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa says Dr. Sharma’s commitment to health service began during her school years in Nausori, where she witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by healthcare workers.
He says PeopleMed has donated 40-foot containers annually for the past 13 years, filled with medical consumables and equipment to assist Fiji’s health system.
The Ministry has also contributed around 40 weighing scales and two dozen blood pressure machines to support the SDA Church’s growing health services network.
Ravunawa thanked the SDA Church for its continued service to the people of Fiji and the wider region.
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He adds that good health is essential for a productive and prosperous nation, allowing Fijians to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fiji has welcomed strong government backing for its 10,000 Toes Campaign, aimed at tackling diabetes and other non-communicable diseases across the country.
Speaking at the event, 10,000 Toes Coordinator for the Fiji Mission, Jona Nawaqavou, says the partnership with the Ministry of Health marks a significant step forward in strengthening frontline health services.
Nawaqavou says the church has built close ties with both the Minister and Assistant Minister of Health over the past eight months, who recognise the 10,000 Toes initiative as a vital support system in the national fight against diabetes.
He says the SDA Church, with approximately 29,000 members and 6,000 trained health ambassadors, is well placed to reach both remote and urban communities.
He adds that the medical equipment and consumables provided by the government will greatly improve the church’s ability to carry out early detection, raise awareness, and engage communities directly.
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He explains that diabetes is often described as a disease of many complications, leading to heart disease, stroke, and blindness.
He says the 10,000 Toes program focuses on early detection, control, arrest, and reversal of diabetes through lifestyle change rather than medication—what he calls lifestyle medicine involving consultation, education, and behaviour change.
Nawaqavou says they help people understand that diabetes can be managed—and even reversed—through consistent lifestyle choices.
He highlights that health is a core pillar of the SDA Church and is deeply embedded in its faith and daily programmes.
He adds that the Church promotes a holistic view of wellbeing, linking physical health with spiritual growth.
Addressing the public, Nawaqavou urges Fijians to take responsibility for their health, especially in their food choices.
He says diabetes can be controlled if people have the willpower to change what they eat and move away from processed foods toward natural, plant-based diets.
He adds that the church stands ready to assist communities through health education, cooking demonstrations, and lifestyle programs that promote healthier living.
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