World Bank Reports Alarming Surge in Non-Communicable Diseases in Fiji
Click to start listening
Suva, Nov 28 (NationPress) According to Mesulame Namedre, a health specialist with the World Bank, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are predicted to incur costs of about 591 million Fijian dollars (approximately 260 million US dollars) annually, encompassing both direct and indirect expenses.
The most recent World Bank Fiji Health Sector Review disclosed that the health outcomes in Fiji are hindering the population from achieving their full productive capacity, as reported by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday.
Currently, life expectancy at birth in Fiji stands at 68 years, which is eight years below the average for upper-middle-income nations.
The World Bank warned that if current trends persist, Fiji’s health spending could escalate to 7 percent of GDP by the year 2050, with per capita health expenditures projected to soar by as much as 250 percent.
Despite battling recurrent outbreaks of infectious diseases, Fiji is simultaneously facing a catastrophic surge in NCDs, Namedre noted, with nearly 64 percent of all fatalities from NCDs occurring within the working-age demographic, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
If Fiji fails to effectively manage its NCD crisis and if public funding does not increase to satisfy future demands, households may be forced to forgo medical care, leading to negative consequences for equity.
