Compared to the $214, 972 given this year, the government has increased funding to $429,945 for next year.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Frank Bainimarama said the increase will fund the NCD best buy initiative and NCD prevention.
Commodore Bainimarama said the government had also increased the duty charged on substances which negatively affects health as part of efforts to battle non-communicable diseases
He said the duty on cigarettes and alcohol had been raised by 3 percent after a similar increase in the 2011 budget while the duty on palm oil and monosodium glutamate had been increased to 32 percent as part of overall strategies to combat NCDs.
“One of the greatest threats to our society is NCDs. Eighty per cent of illness, disability and deaths are attributable to these diseases diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.”
“The burden of NCDs threatens to overwhelm our already overstretched health services as it absorbs substantial amounts of resources.
