Over 100,000 Fijians in the North will now have better health protection following the Commissioning of the Environmental Health Lab.
This is part of the Typhoid in Fiji – Vaccination Towards Elimination Project.
The Ministry of Health have indicated that over the years there has been a growing need to address environmental sampling and monitoring of typhoid and that a fully functional laboratory is required.
Minister for Health Dr Lalabalavu, said there is a high incidence of typhoid in the country, and the northern division has one of the highest burdens among the four divisions.
Dr Lalabalavu said that the lab will carry out monthly sampling around 30 sites before and after the Ty FIVE vaccination campaigns.
He added that the data and information from the laboratory will be useful for combating typhoid.