Ministry Of Health Fiji COUNTRY REPORT

Name: Luke V Vonotabua Name 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) Function Environmental 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, ,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 factory Mining Manufacturing Food Industry Forestry Household Chemicals Agrochemicals 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