Fiji has recorded its highest tuberculosis (TB) mortality rate since the national TB programme began, with deaths rising to 10.2 per 100,000 people in 2024 — up from 7.2 per 100,000 in 2023, Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa confirmed. The increase of roughly 41.7 percent in a single year has prompted urgent calls from health officials for stepped-up action to prevent further loss of life.
“The highest ever recorded for the national TB program, compared to 7.2 per 100,000 in 2023,” Ravunawa said, warning the figures “highlight the urgent need to strengthen our early detection, our treatment adherence, and community-based prevention strategies.” He described the rise as a symptom of broader shortcomings in controlling the disease and ensuring consistent, effective care across the country.
Ravunawa singled out delayed detection as a major driver of the increased deaths, saying many patients only seek medical help once their illness has advanced. He warned that the tendency to dismiss TB as a simple cough, treated at home with remedies such as steaming with leaves, allows the disease to progress and spread. “If someone catches the bacteria then it is important that they undergo a comprehensive treatment process from early detection, early testing and early treatment,” he said.
Health officials are emphasising three immediate priorities: identifying TB cases earlier, improving adherence to the full course of treatment, and expanding prevention work through communities. Ravunawa urged stronger public awareness so people recognise “unusual symptoms” and seek testing promptly, and called for integrated public health measures to reach vulnerable or remote populations who may face barriers to timely diagnosis and care.
The Assistant Minister framed the jump in TB mortality as a policy as well as a clinical problem, saying “ending TB requires a strong political will, sustained investment in the health system, integrated public health strategies, and increased community awareness and engagement.” He warned that without coordinated, properly resourced interventions at national and grassroots levels, TB will remain a significant public-health threat.
This development marks a worrying reversal of progress and comes as a stark reminder of the fragile gains in infectious disease control. Health authorities did not release raw death counts with the mortality rate but have made clear the spike demands accelerated testing, treatment support and prevention outreach. The Ministry of Health is expected to detail follow-up measures in coming days as it seeks to turn the trend around before further deaths occur.
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