Shania Shayal Prasad 
[File Photo]
Fiji is grappling with a rising crisis of non-communicable diseases, driven largely by poor nutrition and unhealthy dietary habits.
However, with only about 90 dietitians, the Ministry of Health is struggling to meet the rising demand for nutrition-related services.
Senior Nutritionist Kriti Chand states that there is an urgent need for more dietitians, particularly in rural areas.
“They’re not eating the nutritious meals. Not having enough fruits and vegetables in their meals. So these are some of the areas where we need to strengthen. And we need to have more advocacy around those areas.”
Chand is calling for stronger advocacy to encourage healthier eating habits.
Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa has acknowledged the growing need for dietitians.
“I have to find out whether we have exhaust the establishment and whether the school is attracting enough students to take up nutritional courses, whether the pay is good and it suits the work that they do, the demand.”
The Health Ministry says addressing the growing shortage of dietitians is essential to tackling the NCD epidemic and improving public health outcomes.
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