The launch of the National Early Childhood Development Policy has brought renewed focus on the need for enhanced health services for children, with a call for more pediatric specialists and prioritized child health departments in hospitals and health centers.

Minister for Women and Children, Lynda Tabuya, says that improving child health services is critical to the success of the newly unveiled policy.

Tabuya is optimistic about the policy’s potential to transform child welfare services making access to skilled healthcare essential and called on Health Ministry officials to prioritise pediatric care.

“We need more pediatric nurses and doctors. We need to develop that capacity. And I think for him, he needs to look at, if he’s prioritizing the children’s department at the hospital and the health centers to ensure that in each of the health centers, you have a child health professional.”

Tabuya stresses on the need for collective action across government ministries.

“It’s going to be part of our budget process to ensure that we have more facilities and more budget allocations in terms of child care, psychiatric and psychosocial services for children, you know, but also to have more ability within the justice ministry and the Fiji police force in how to handle children who are presented as a victim or as a child in conflict with the law. So we will need that support.”

Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr. Jemesa Tudravu also highlights the importance of the policy in addressing critical areas of child development.

“We are confident that the implementation of this policy will result in several positive outcomes including all children are safe, included and nurtured in their families to develop optimally physically, cognitively, spiritually, socially, mentally and emotionally.”

The National ECD Policy, supported by the New Zealand Government and UNICEF, targets comprehensive improvements in child health and nutrition, including increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates, boosting immunization coverage, and reducing neonatal mortality.