Last Updated on 8 years by Publishing Team

New water testing equipments will reduce communicable diseases

Water quality testing equipment presented to the Health Ministry.

Thanks to a donation of water testing equipment from the WHO and UNICEF, the Health Ministry will improve its capacity to monitor the quality of drinking water in Fiji.

The donation of 13 Potatest and 4 Potalab kits will greatly assist the Environmental Health Unit of the Health Ministry to conduct water quality monitoring.

Receiving the water testing equipment, the former Health Minister Hon. Jone Usamate explained why this equipment would be so useful, especially in rural areas.

“In Fiji, approximately 53% of rural populations drink water drawn from creeks and rivers and this initiative will be able to monitor and enable immediate response action by the Ministry to limit transmission of water borne diseases and subsequent loss of lives”, Mr Usamate said.

The equipment will be distributed to TC Winston-affected areas such as Rakiraki, Korovou, Vanuabalavu, Lomaiviti and Taveuni and later on to other rural communities in Fiji.

Hon. Usamate expressed his sincere gratitude to WHO and UNICEF for this initiative, which will make daily tasks such as hand-washing and preparing food easier and safer for many Fijians.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Centre for Communicable Disease Control at the Ministry of Health will continue to work with WHO and UNICEF in coordinating all water testing activities.