http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=385117

 

CLIMATE change and natural disasters have an indirect impact on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), says Health and Medical Services Minister Rosy Akbar.

 

She made the comment while launching Fiji's first Climate Change and Health Strategic Plan for 2016-2020 at the ministry's headquarters in Suva yesterday.

The minister said the plan would implement measures in adaptation to climate change for the health system in Fiji in order to prevent and reduce risks in people's health and well-being.

Ms Akbar also highlighted Fiji was among the vulnerable island nations that were facing severe effects of climate change as coastal communities were experiencing rising sea levels exacerbated by more devastating disasters such as cyclones, floods and drought.

"Food security is threatened as planting areas get inundated with sea water and oceans become increasingly acidified," Ms Akbar said.

"Access to safe water supply is compromised because of severe droughts, salt water intrusion and frequent flooding contaminating domestic water supplies. Human survival is at risk.

"The plan's mission is to build resilience to climate change impacts on health by empowering and assisting our people through an adaptive and sustainable health system in Fiji.

The plan is based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Operational Framework for building climate resilient health systems that provide guidance for health systems and public health programming to increase human capacity for protecting health in an unstable and changing climate.

WHO representative Angela Merianos said the plan was an excellent roadmap for the ministry to build and strengthen climate-resilient health system for five years in Fiji.

Ms Akbar said the collaboration between WHO and the Health Ministry on the "Piloting Climate Change Adaptation to Protect Human Health" (PCCAPHH) project established a sustainable climate health program in the ministry as the focal capacity to address impact of climate change on health and health systems in Fiji.