Last Updated on 9 years by Publishing Team

HON. JONE USAMATE

Minister for Health and Medical Services

ADDRESS – DIABETES/NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES CONGRESS

VENUE: NOVOTEL HOTEL, LAMI

WEDNESDAY, 22^ND JUNE 2015                                                              9.00 AM

Distinguished Quests

Heads and Members of Diabetes/ NCD congress

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Please allow me to wholeheartedly welcome you all to this first ever congress organized by Diabetes Fiji and involving all the stakeholders of Diabetes and NCDs. While appreciating your participation, I am sanguine that you are enjoying good health.

As far as diabetes and NCDs are concerned, we all know where we are: in drastic state indeed. We also know where we want to be. This leaves us to determine how we will get there. While the Fijian Government, through Ministry of Health and Medical Services, is doing its best to tackle this overwhelming problem, it has become evident that the Government cannot do it alone. Simply put, we all need your help. It gives me such a pleasure to see you all here. My gratitude comes from the inner most depth of my heart.

Although we are faced with unprecedented problem of enormous proportions with Diabetes and other NCDs reaching epidemic levels, we should now move away from the problem-focused mind-set towards solutions orientation. This means that we should all get together to discover options. We need novel ideas to tackle our issues, but we must carry this out in an orderly manner.

And this is where I must congratulate you all to initiate and participate in this first ever Diabetes/ NCD congress. I understand that this congress is to help organize your well-meaning but isolated activities into a coherent establishment that will allow us all to deliver the much-needed services more efficiently. It has four achievable aims:

1. To establish a comprehensive list of all organizations in Fiji involved in Diabetes and NDCs.
2. To establish a geographical map of all your organizations and the activities you undertake.
3. To establish a comprehensive reporting system to a central portal for purposes of better organization and support.
4. To create active liaisons amongst your organization to foster resource sharing.

This is also an opportunity to get together, make new networking connections and appreciate each other’s work, and of course enjoy the hospitality provided by Diabetes Fiji. I wish you a very successful congress and, even more efficacious days ahead.

Wishing you safe journey back as well.

Thank you for coming and helping us all.

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