According to World Bank statistics, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill nearly 4,700 Fijians every year, attributing an estimated 9,200 deaths in Fiji to these diseases over the two-year COVID pandemic … So, why aren’t we covering the real crisis killing our people?

With 80% of all deaths in Fiji due to NCDs, which include diabetes, hypertension and other diseases, we ignore this quiet killer at our peril. These diseases are not airborne nor are they contagious. They are caused by bad habits; primarily the overconsumption of unhealthy foods like sugar, salt, alcohol and processed foods. The crisis is severe and the solutions are clear, yet the Fijian media seems to accept these fatalities without question. Why don’t media organisations cover the NCD crisis –– and help raise awareness on solutions –– with the same intensity that they cover COVID-19? They’d certainly help save more lives.

Not to mention, NCD prevalence fuels COVID fatalities. Fijians with underlying health conditions, such as NCDs including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease and are more likely to die from COVID-19.

The strain of NCDs on the Fijian health system is crushing. There are thousands of stories of suffering behind the nationwide epidemic. It’s time we focus the conversation on the real, quiet killer in our midst and help get more Fijians unhooked from sugar, salt and processed foods.