| Project Detail |
In Fiji, deaths and disabilities caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are on the rise, and the disease shift from infectious diseases to NCDs is rapidly progressing. The Ministry of Health of Japan has formulated the Annual Implementation Plan 2020-2021 and the National Strategic Plan 2020-2025 to promote comprehensive measures against NCDs, aiming to reduce the prevalence and risk factors of major NCDs. Under these circumstances, the Japanese government has supported the countrys NCDs countermeasures, focusing on strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals through the acquisition of the Motivational Interviewing (MI) method (Note 1). MI also contributed to strengthening the capacity of healthcare professionals to deal with other health issues, such as its application not only to NCDs but also to existing counseling (e.g., family planning counseling and nutrition counseling for undernourished and overnourished children), while at the same time contributing to improving health service satisfaction of patients receiving counseling and health literacy. However, it did not lead to the comprehensive systematization of the wellness clinic system (Note 2) or the full-scale implementation of workplace health checkups, and due to the governments budgetary measures and challenges in securing medical personnel, it was not able to take root as a national-level system. This cooperation aims to strengthen the capacity of primary level health care workers engaged in NCDs control and establish a workplace health checkup system throughout Fiji, thereby contributing to the sustainable prevention and control of NCDs and improving the status of NCDs management in Fiji as a whole. (Note 1) Motivational Interviewing: An interviewing method based on a counselor-centered counseling approach that aims to encourage the counselor to change his/her own behavior rather than giving one-sided instructions. (Note 2) Wellness Clinic System: A follow-up system for the results of health checkups, which includes re-checkups and in-patient guidance based on the criteria. |
