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Source: ONE News -
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Shocking new figures show four out of every 10 people in Fiji have diabetes, putting it amongst the highest in the world.
The Fred Hollows Foundation has just completed the first survey of its kind in the island nation showing its diabetic rate is four times more than in New Zealand.
The survey across 34 communities in Fiji has found 40% of the people have diabetes.
"We found out they were 40% the scope and the depth of the problem just hit us. The impacts in terms of costs family aspects, economic issues its just going to be staggering," says Doctor Tom Schaefer from the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand.
Survey staff had thought diabetes rates would be high, but nobody had predicted how big.
It was discovered by the team at the Fred Hollows Foundation. Each random house was visited and information gathered for all those over the age of 40. Then it was down to the village hall for a number of tests.
"So what we are trying to do is work out roughly how much diabetes there is in the community and of those people who at the moment is at risk of losing their sight because of complications from diabetes," says Doctor Garry Brian from the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand.
The survey results showed a third of those with diabetes did not know they had the disease and women were almost twice as likely as men to have it.
The magnitude of the problem is worrying for a health system which has committed staff but little resources.
"The cost of medication alone is going to outstrip the ability of any health system to do it," says Schaefer.
It is now about planning for the future, a future where almost half the population are diabetic.
