Health Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu told Parliament on Tuesday that the Ministry of Health is pressing ahead with a comprehensive review and modernisation of Fiji’s health laws to better protect public health, strengthen accountability and respond to changing national and global challenges.
Speaking in the House, Ratu Atonio said the December parliamentary sitting saw the endorsement of significant health legislation, including the Burial and Cremation Act and the Quarantine Act. He said these measures are intended to bolster public health safeguards, environmental protection and national health security while aligning Fiji more closely with international standards and obligations.
The minister provided fresh detail on the progress of other key bills. The Mental Health Act has completed its public consultation phase and is now awaiting feedback from the Solicitor‑General’s Office, Ratu Atonio said. That legal vetting is a prerequisite before the Bill can be finalised for cabinet consideration and return to Parliament, he added, underscoring that the timeframe will depend on the outcome of those legal checks.
Ratu Atonio also announced that public consultation on the updated Nursing Act is expected to begin at the end of this month and will move forward from there. The Nursing Act review is part of a broader effort to update archaic statutes governing the health workforce and regulatory frameworks, he said, a process that requires public input, legal scrutiny and cabinet endorsement before any new law is enacted.
The minister acknowledged the difficulties inherent in overhauling long‑standing legislation. “It is not an easy task to review Bills and Acts — as they are archaic — let alone draft new ones and have them go through the same process of public consultation, legal checks and cabinet endorsement,” he told MPs, stressing the need for reforms to be people‑centred, evidence‑based and fiscally responsible.
Ratu Atonio said the outcomes of a national dialogue held in November 2024 during the National Health Executive Committee Meeting will guide the development of a new Health Strategic Plan. The plan will prioritise prevention, primary health care, efficiency and equity, he said, with an overall objective of ensuring reforms are sustainable, deliver meaningful improvements in health outcomes and advance Universal Health Coverage.
As legislative work continues through the parliamentary term, the ministry is positioning the suite of reforms — from quarantine and burial rules to mental health and nursing regulation — as complementary steps toward a more resilient health system. The latest updates mark concrete advances in the law‑making timetable and signal the government’s intent to complete legal and policy reforms that officials say are necessary to meet contemporary public health needs.
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