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🇫🇯 Fiji /Health & Science

Fiji boosts fight against mosquito-borne diseases with $2B GX Foundation aid

From FBC News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Fiji is launching a nationwide program to combat mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, with significant support from the Hong Kong-based GX Foundation.
  • The initiative includes over $2 billion in assistance, the donation of essential supplies like rapid test kits and mosquito nets, and a public education campaign.
  • This partnership aims to enhance Fiji's capacity for disease prevention, detection, and response, shifting the focus from reacting to outbreaks to proactive control.

Fiji is intensifying its efforts against dengue and other mosquito-borne illnesses through a comprehensive nationwide program. The initiative, launched with a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the GX Foundation, receives substantial backing of over $2 billion from the Hong Kong-based organization.

Assistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa highlighted the program as a significant advancement in safeguarding communities and improving public health. The partnership is expected to bolster Fiji's capabilities in preventing, detecting, and responding to disease outbreaks, thereby strengthening the national healthcare system. Ravunawa expressed gratitude to the GX Foundation for their close collaboration, emphasizing that such a large-scale mission requires collective effort.

A mission of this scale cannot be achieved alone. Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is today truly grateful to the GX Foundation for working in close collaboration with our team.

— Penioni RavunawaAssistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa on the importance of the partnership with the GX Foundation.

The program's expansion nationwide follows a successful pilot phase, which evaluated the effectiveness of mosquito-length rapid test kits in high-risk areas. GX Foundation Chair Leung Chun-ying detailed the two-year initiative's provisions, including 15,000 rapid test kits, 6,500 mosquito nets, 600 mosquito lamps, and 100,000 fly sticky papers. The foundation will also collaborate with the Ministry to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework, train health personnel, and conduct a nationwide public education campaign.

Health officials anticipate that this program will enable Fiji to transition from a reactive approach to outbreaks towards a proactive strategy, focusing on disease prevention before communities are significantly impacted.

Together with the Ministry, we will drastically develop a monitoring and evaluation framework, build on our training to health personnel and recipients, and run a nationwide public education campaign.

— Leung Chun-yingGX Foundation Chair Leung Chun-ying outlining the scope of the two-year initiative.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by FBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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