Ministry Of Health Fiji COUNTRY REPORT

Name: Luke V VonotabuaName of Organization that I belong to: Ministry of

Health - Environmental Health Unit.

Minister for Health

Chief Executive Officer

Director Public Health

National Advisor Environmental Health

DHI Western

HI Luke Vonotabua

Position Environmental Health Inspector (EHO)

FunctionEnvironmental Health Planning & Management

Pollution Control

Vector Control & Disease Investigation

International Quarantine

Food Quality & Control

Water quality and Sanitation

Health Promotion

Legal Enforcement

Map of Fiji Islands

SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS

18,333 square Kilometers

330 islands

16 % of Landmass is suitable for agriculture

Population of 772,655

523,428 are economically active

Major Industrial & Agricultural Sectors – Manufacturing,Tourism,Gold Mining, Garment ,Sugar cane, Fishing and Logging.

The Economy

Very narrow base

Performance largely determined by success of sugar and tourism sector.

Suffered in 1987 & 2000 political crisis.

Environmental Contaminants

Cement factoryMiningManufacturingFood Industry ForestryHousehold ChemicalsAgrochemicals Imports Exports

Environmental Protection Policy

Current status rests on other Ministries

MAFF – agricultural chemicals

MLIR – Industrial Chemicals

MOH – Drugs and Medicines.

Fiji is a signatory of the STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSITENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS and obliged to call for a unified global campaign to get rid of the stockpiles of dangerous chemicals.

Regulation of environment and industrial chemicals in Fiji.

Environmental management Act Passed.

Not in force

Regulation has not been written up.Agricultural Chemicals – Under Pesticides Act

Industrial Chemicals – Poisons and Drugs Act

Monitoring Systems in Fiji Currently there is no monitoring system in place and studies are done to determine the extent and types of chemicals existing and used by the industries.

Major Technology for Monitoring of Environmental and Industrial

Chemicals

Various Ministries responsible are involved in the monitoring of the environment for presence of chemicals.

MOH – responsible for monitoring pollution throughout the country to safeguard the health of the people.

Experience

Survey and assessment of the impact of chemicals to determine the extent of contamination from chemicals, pesticides and weedicide used in Fiji.

Purpose of Attending Course

To learn how assessment should be done.

What are the Equipments Used.

How to use the equipments.

Thank you