Health specialists are raising the alarm over a rise in kidney disease across Fiji, attributing the increase largely to non-communicable diseases — in particular diabetes — and warning that many patients are only identified when their condition is already at an advanced, life‑threatening stage. Doctors say current trends show diabetes as one of the leading causes of kidney failure in the country, and that a worrying number of people first learn they have kidney disease when their kidney function has fallen below 15 percent, the threshold commonly described as end‑stage kidney disease.
Kidney specialist Dr Abhitesh Raj said Fiji’s persistently high rates of diabetes are a major driving factor behind the surge in renal failure cases. “We have very high rates of diabetes in Fiji and that’s one of the common causes of Kidney Failure in Fiji,” he said, stressing that better detection and management of diabetes and hypertension are central to preventing progression to end‑stage disease. Dr Raj urged routine screening for those at increased risk — people living with diabetes, those with high blood pressure, and anyone with a family history of kidney disease.
Clinicians say early kidney disease can be hard to spot because symptoms are often vague and can be mistaken for other illnesses. Dr Raj listed common signs that should prompt medical review: persistent fatigue, swelling in the legs, and episodes of nausea and vomiting. Because these indicators overlap with many other conditions, he warned that without formal testing people can overlook warning signs until kidney function has already deteriorated substantially.
Australian nephrologist Dr Anis Ta’eed echoed concerns on the global scale, noting that Fiji’s experience mirrors international patterns in which many people with chronic kidney disease are unaware of their condition until it reaches an advanced stage. “What we know globally, it’s not just a problem in Fiji, but most people with kidney disease don’t know they have it. Most statistics say that people who have kidney disease are unaware that they have that problem,” he said, underlining the need for wider awareness and routine checks.
Health professionals say expanding awareness campaigns and making screening more accessible are key steps to reducing the number of Fijians progressing to kidney failure. Regular testing of kidney function — particularly for those in high‑risk groups — can detect disease earlier, when interventions to control blood sugar, blood pressure and other risk factors are more likely to slow or halt progression.
This warning comes as part of a broader focus on the burden of non‑communicable diseases in Fiji, where diabetes and hypertension remain prevalent. Medical experts say the latest rise in kidney disease should prompt renewed efforts by health authorities and communities to prioritise preventive care, early diagnosis and chronic disease management to reduce the growing toll on patients and the health system.
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