Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka shared his personal experiences with diabetes during the Diabetes Campaign Launch 2024 event at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva. He reflected on the impact of the disease on his family, mentioning the loss of loved ones, including his mother, who lost her sight due to diabetes and passed away in 1992.
Rabuka highlighted the importance of health awareness, revealing that his doctor recently advised him to monitor his blood sugar levels. He noted that diabetes has taken a significant toll on Fijian society, with approximately 5,700 lives lost to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in 2020 alone. Alarmingly, around 80 percent of deaths in Fiji are attributed to diabetes and other NCDs, a figure that continues to rise.
The Prime Minister emphasized that children, adults, and the elderly face various risk factors for NCDs, including poor diets, lack of physical activity, exposure to tobacco smoke, and excessive alcohol consumption. He urged Fijians to remain vigilant and proactive about their health, as many lives are prematurely lost to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. Rabuka concluded by stating that globally, one in ten adults has diabetes, with the vast majority being type 2 diabetes cases, many of which are undiagnosed.