SUVA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Fiji ranks second in the world in terms of death rate from diabetes, the government-owned Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported Thursday.
According to a world life expectancy diabetes report which used the latest data from the World Health Organization, Fiji has an age-adjusted death rate of 147 people for every 100,000 deaths, lower than Mauritius, which has recorded the highest at a rate of 174 people per 100,000 deaths.
Jone Usamate, Fiji's minister for health and medical services, said the statistics is "shocking".
"It's not the kind of record that we want. It's very important for people to realize that diabetes is something that is not addressed in the hospital, it has to be addressed before hand. It's done at home. It's done at societies where all of us have to make sure to teach our family that we eat the right kind of food," Usamate said.
The Fijian government is trying to do its bit by taxing sugar sweet beverages and also trying to create an environment in which people start to follow a healthier lifestyle, said the health minister.
