Diabetes increasingly affecting young Fijians

Diabetes is no longer confined to older age groups in Fiji, with almost five per cent of young adults aged 18 to 29 now living with the condition, according to new national health data.

Head of Wellness Dr Devina Nand revealed the trend on Friday at the launch of the Fiji STEPS Survey Report 2025 at the Grand Pacific Hotel.

“4.7 per cent of people aged between 18 to 29 years had diabetes. Can you imagine, almost five per cent of our 18 to 29-year-olds had diabetes,” Dr Nand said.

“What did we see decades ago? Diabetes was the disease of the elderly. No longer.”

The survey found that 16.5 per cent of adults nationwide have diabetes, with the average age of people living with the condition now at 47.6 years — within Fiji’s economically productive population.

Women accounted for 53.7 per cent of those living with diabetes.

The findings also showed that only 46.5 per cent of people with diabetes were previously aware of their condition, while 33 per cent were receiving treatment. Just 6.2 per cent had their blood glucose levels under control.

Dr Nand stressed the need for early and sustained intervention across schools, workplaces and communities.

“Investment into health-promoting schools, investment into early childhood, investment into primary and secondary schools are essential if we have to change these results,” she said.

The survey further revealed that 28.6 per cent of the population is living with pre-diabetes, highlighting the growing scale of the public health challenge.