Simione Tuvuki 
The delay in detection during an outbreak of respiratory illnesses has prompted the introduction of the first-ever flu-tracking project by the Ministry of Health.
“FluTracking Fiji” is a web-based surveillance system that monitors symptoms of respiratory illnesses, such as runny nose, cough and fever through crowdsourced data.
In her address at the launch of the program, Acting Chief Medical Advisor Doctor Luisa Cikamatana says the initiative improves the management of respiratory illnesses
“Traditional communicable disease surveillance in Fiji relies on health facility data, often triggering alerts only when individuals seek medical care.”
Cikamatana adds flu-tracking empowers people to report symptoms of respiratory illnesses, and allows swift identification of outbreaks in communities.
She further says the initiative collects data on health-seeking behaviors that assists in understanding how people respond to illnesses thus enabling targeted intervention by public health officials.
The “FluTracking Fiji Project” is led by the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute, and Beyond Essential Systems.
It is also supported by the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security.
