New Marata wellness centre brings NCD prevention into the community

A new community wellness centre has opened in Marata Village, Wailoku, bringing preventive healthcare closer to residents as Fiji continues to battle one of the world's highest rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The facility, opened today, was established through a partnership between the JP Bayly Trust, Nuffield Health Centre, Wellness Fiji, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the Marata Village community.

Chief guest and Nuffield Health Centre representative Dr Joji Naqaravatu said the centre reflected a shared commitment to building healthier communities.

He acknowledged the JP Bayly Trust for supporting the project through funding, expertise and resources that enabled community consultations, an NCD action plan, health screenings, wellness activities, health education programmes, centre upgrades, accessibility improvements and sporting equipment.

Dr Naqaravatu said health screenings conducted in the village had already identified residents with risk factors linked to NCDs, including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

He said the findings enabled early intervention through health assessments, lifestyle counselling, follow-up care and referrals for further treatment.

"Health is more than medicines and clinics. It is about physical activity, nutritious diets, supportive families and individuals taking responsibility for their own wellbeing," he said.

JP Bayly Trust project manager Dr Rufina Latu said the wellness centre was the product of collaboration between the trust, the Ministry of Health, healthcare workers and the Marata community.

She said consultations with village leaders and residents ensured the facility reflected the community's needs.

"What we have here is a product of meetings with the community, meetings with the Ministry of Health and meetings with the Bayly Trust. Because we came together, we now see this beautiful structure," she said.

Dr Latu said Marata was the first community in the Suva subdivision to receive a wellness centre under the initiative, with similar facilities planned for Naikorokoro Village in Lami and Bainivualiku in Samabula.

She said the project represented a shift in healthcare by taking health promotion beyond hospitals and clinics and into communities.

"This is yours. It is sitting in your village. Take ownership and make use of it," she said.

Marata community health worker Tomu Teahana, 57, said the centre would help residents better understand the importance of preventing NCDs and living healthier lives.

Mr Teahana said the goal was to make Marata a healthy-setting village and reduce the impact of NCDs on the community.

"We would like to teach the people of my community to be careful of what we eat and drink, and exercise our bodies so we can live longer," he said.

He said health screenings had identified concerns, including obesity and the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes among some residents, with the new facility expected to encourage healthier choices and regular physical activity.