Domestic violence should be recognised as a public health issue, Parliament told

The University of Fiji has urged Parliament to recognise domestic violence and child neglect as public health issues under the proposed Public Health Amendment Bill 2026.

Making submissions to Parliament's Standing Committee on Social Affairs in Suva on Friday, Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem said victims of domestic violence often sought help from health services before reporting abuse to police, and the current Bill overlooked this reality.

"The first point of call for a person, for a woman usually, who's been beaten up is the health services, not the police," she said.

Drawing on her time as a teacher at Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, Professor Shameem described children arriving at school hungry and returning home to adult kava sessions instead of doing homework, warning it was a hidden health crisis affecting learning and wellbeing.

Opposition MP Viam Pillay asked whether these issues fell within the scope of the Bill, prompting National WASH Coordinator Toga Vosataki to clarify that the legislation does not target specific age groups but includes protections that benefit children, including school dormitory spacing requirements.

He said classroom spacing was being increased from 1.2 square metres to 1.5 square metres per child to reduce the spread of infection, a change supported by the Ministry.

Professor Shameem said Fiji's growing exposure to climate-related health risks, including waterborne diseases and displacement, made it urgent for the Bill to look ahead rather than repeat outdated 1935 provisions.

Committee chairperson Iliesa Vanawalu said the issue required further discussion with the Ministry before the report was finalised.