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Mothers urged to Immunise Children

The Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services, Hon. Veena Bhatnagar urged mothers to immunise their children in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Global and Western Pacific Regional Immunisation Week was launched at the Makoi Health centre today with the theme “Vaccination is everyone’s job, Protect your community”.

Immunisation Week is an annual event in the World Health Organisation (WHO) calendar to initiate global public health campaign to raise awareness and increase rates of immunisation against vaccine preventable diseases.

“Government is committed to improving the lives of our children. We have put strategies in place to supplement their nutrition such as the milk program for our primary school children, free bus fare to schools to ensure that none of these youngsters is deprived of primary school education and the strengthening the immunization programme,” Mrs Bhatnagar said.

The Assistant Minister added that in 2012 Government introduced three new vaccines that reduced childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea and the incidence of cervical cancer.
“Ninety-five percent of children under five in Fiji are fully protected against all vaccine preventable diseases as confirmed via Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) coverage survey in 2013. This year, Fiji will conduct a blood survey for Hepatitis B which will inform us the impact of the vaccination program on childhood chronic infection rates.”

She added that the lack of awareness of the significance of immunisation, the loss of immunisation cards and disrupted immunization program schedules are some of the reasons why children were not fully immunised as identified via the coverage survey.

The Assistant Minister said there is a need for more public awareness and intensified efforts to close gaps on immunization.

02/04/15

Media Release 

Chikungunya Alert

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services advises the general public to focus efforts on reducing the risks of Chikungunya circulation in Fiji. This is after it received laboratory confirmation of an imported case of Chikungunya virus disease last week.

Chikungunya virus disease evolved and has progressively circulated amongst neighboring Pacific Island countries in the  since 2014 .

As  Fiji’s population is naïve to previous exposure to the Chikungunya virus , there is the likelihood of an explosive outbreak should the disease reach our shores.

The Ministry has been monitoring the Chikungunya situation in the region very closely in collaboration with WHO (World Health Organisation) and SPC (Secretariat of the Pacific Community). In addition it is also spearheading Chikungunya mitigation activities countrywide in efforts to reduce the risks of establishing the disease in Fiji.

Chikungunya virus disease is caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).  The Dengue and Chikungunya viruses are spread by the same mosquito vector. CHIKV is transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected individual and then discharges the virus in the bloodstream of a well individual during its next blood feed.

The symptoms of Chinkungunya virus disease, begins 3 – 7 days after being bitten by infected mosquitoes and, includes high fever, joint pains with swelling and stiffness, headache, muscles pains, fatigue and rash on the trunk and limbs. Most will recover within a week, although joint pains may persist for months or years in some cases.

Although the disease is rarely fatal, the socioeconomic burden that comes with massive numbers missing work and school as a result of the disease is immense, as experienced in other Pacific Island countries that are currently dealing with the epidemic.

Prevention of CHIKV infection basically involves reducing the mosquito density to levels that will prevent disease transmission, and also protecting oneself from mosquito bites.

To reduce the mosquito density levels in the community, the Ministry encourages all individuals, government sectors and corporate entities in Fiji to work cohesively with the Ministry of Health in destroying mosquito breeding grounds via frequent organized cleanup campaigns.

To prevent mosquito bites, the use of mosquito repellents, mosquito nets and mosquito screens in windows and doors is recommended.

With the confirmation of an imported case, the Ministry advises members of the public to be more vigilant of the disease and its manifestations and to present to the nearest health facility should they experience signs and symptoms

The Ministry will scale-up other components of its national mosquito vector control program and its disease surveillance activities in concerted efforts to prevent establishment and internal circulation of CHIKV in Fiji.

For further information on CHIKV in Fiji contact Dr Eric Rafai and/or Dr Mike Kama on email address: eric.rafai@govnet.gov.fj and/or mnkama02@gmail.com, respectively.

THE FIJI JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (FJPH)
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The FJPH is a Fiji based journal published for public health practitioners, public health researchers,
clinicians and all allied health practitioners. Our goal is to provide evidence based information and
analysis they need to enable them to make the right choices and decisions concerning their health and
health services provided to ensure better health for all.
We seek to publish articles on public health issues in Fiji ranging from child health, maternal health,
neglected tropical diseases, non-communicable diseases, wellness initiatives, environment, climate
change, biomedical research, social-economic research, health determinants, and health systems
research, health policies, reforms, information, human resources etc. Submissions on other topics are
also welcome as long as they relate to public health issues.
We are now accepting submissions for our volume 4, issue 2 edition on
the Theme: Wellness – Nutrition in Fiji”. Submissions are due May15th 2015.
We would accept papers/articles directly or indirectly related to the theme which may be in
the form of Original Research, Abstracts, Opinion pieces, Field Notes, Perspectives; Policy
pieces (Policy papers/Policy Briefs).
Please refer to the Instructions to Authors for more information on Submission
requirements.
For any further questions regarding submissions, email the Editorial team on
fjph12@gmail.com or mere.delai@govnet.gov.fj.
Volume 4, Issue 2 Theme: Wellness – Nutrition in Fiji
SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS MAY 15th 2015
The Fiji Journal of Public Health
Also check out the other upcoming Themes in the Ministry of Health Website @ www.health.gov.fj
or the Health Research Portal @ www.health.gov.fj/fijihrp.

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The Minister of Health and Medical Services, Hon. Jone Usamate rounded off a successful tour to India with discussions for a fully funded program training program for our doctors in the Republic of Korea.

The Hon Minister met with the senior officials of the Sunny Korea Welfare Foundation at the Fijian Embassy Office in Seoul with the Fiji delegates returning home via Korea after their 11 days tour of India from the 28^th of February to the 10^th of March.

Sunny Korea Welfare Foundation is a charity organization in South Korea founded by Mr. Yujin Kreves who has helped many children in Asian countries with heart diseases to live a quality life.

The Sunny Korea Welfare Foundation have proposed to the Minister; a fully sponsored trip for two to three Fijians doctors to be trained in medical institutions in the area of heart disease prevention, heart disease diagnosis and heart surgery.

Sunny Korea Welfare Foundation has also offered a proposal for a medical camp in Fiji and surgery intervention in South Korea for Fijian children who have congenital heart diseases.

Hon. Usamate responded that the generous offer from Sunny Korea Welfare Foundation has brought rays of sun to the Fijian medical fraternity by increasing their skills and knowledge on heart diseases and especially to our children who are suffering from congenital heart diseases.

He said he will see to it that this proposal with the Sunny Korea Welfare Foundation will come to fruition when he returns home.

The Minister of Health and Medical Services, Honorable Mr Jone Usamate, met his Indian Government counterpart, Honorable Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda – Minister of Health and Family Welfare in Delhi this week to lead discussions in health sector as a follow-up on the bi-lateral matters discussed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Fiji in November last year.

The Hon. Minister Nadda, with his high-ranking officials of the Ministry, warmly welcomed Minster Usamate and the High Commissioner and stated that his Ministry was keen to support Fiji on the priority areas of need in medical care.

Minister Usamate in his opening comments expressed his appreciation to the Minister and the Government of India for the support India had provided to Fiji over the years. He further said that Fiji and India had a historical 135-year relation and looked forward to seek assistance from India’s world-class medical expertise. He provided an overview on the extension work done to the infrastructure at the CWM Hospital where additional operating theaters were built. He further explained that the extension and new technologies enabled various types of heart surgeries associated with cardiovascular diseases and other complex surgeries accomplish in Fiji. Minister Usamate also thanked the Indian Government for assistance given by the Government of India in the past, such as ambulances, boilers, and medical equipment.

He further said that the meeting was an important one as both ministers needed to renew the objectives of the Memorandum of Agreement that was signed between the two countries. He further said that Fiji would be hosting the Second Joint Working Group Meeting in the first half of the year with India’s Ministry of Health and family Welfare.

The landmark meeting between the two Ministers had many important agendas discussed including establishing an institutional collaboration with India’s Premium medical Institution – All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). The delegates from Fiji included, the High Commissioner of Fiji to India, Mr Yogesh Karan, Chief Pharmacist, Mr Apolosi Vosanibola, First Secretary Mr. Sakeasi Waikere, and the Second Secretary Mr. Om Prakash.

Moreover, Hon. Usamate briefed Minister Nadda on Fiji’s keen interest in Traditional Medicine and the Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) stating that he will be initiating discussions from his Ministry through Fiji’s Mission in New Delhi. Fiji’s High Commissioner to India, Yogesh Karan, said that Fiji’s request for a quota-system every year where Fijian students could study medicine in top Indian medical universities on self-funding basis was also discussed at the meeting. He added that Hon. Usamate requested to the Government of India if Fiji could be given an allocation for 3-5 seats initially for undergraduate and specialized medical studies at postgraduate level. Karan further stated that follow-up discussion would be held with Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Health in India in the forthcoming weeks.

The Hon. Minister Nadda expressed his Ministry’s willingness to assist Fiji and assured Hon Usamate that his ministry would hold discussions with Ministry of External Affairs on Fiji’s requests once his office receives detailed proposal from Suva.

Minister Usamate later met with the Drugs Controller General of India, Dr G.N. Singh to established collaboration on drug pharmacopeia standards being used in India and other technical support that Fiji could benefit from the world largest supplier of the finished generic medicine products.