Country Case Study Fiji - Containing, Mitigating, and Responding to COVID-19
The Fiji government responded quickly and moved decisively with stringent measures following the identification of the first COVID-19 case and took various effective measures to prevent its spread. It has been quick to implement public health emergency measures including lockdowns, curfews, physical distancing, travel restrictions, and international border closures to prevent imported cases of the virus. While the Fiji government used its endorsed Health and Emergencies Disaster Management Plan (HEADMAP) and did not view the pandemic as a new concept requiring a new approach, its application remains one that is innovative and potentially transformative, especially for Fiji and the Pacific region. A total of 65,713 cases (7,426 per 100,000 population) and 866 deaths (98 per 100,000 population) have been reported up until June 30, 2022. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) in Fiji mobilized its staff to serve at designated fever clinics and isolation facilities in hospitals and communities, and it gradually increased its sentinel sites for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with additional capacity to undertake GeneXpert COVID-19 testing. Since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified in Fiji on March 19, 2020, the government of Fiji has taken proactive and effective measures, including nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as school and workplace closure, community quarantine, limiting size of meetings, restricting travel, stay-at-home guidelines for high-risk people, teleworking, closure of high risk venues, and personal hygiene measures; active surveillance and case detection; and appropriate case management using various strategies including fever clinics, contact tracing, supervision, and home quarantine to ensure safe delivery of clinical services. The pandemic has disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women, children, older people, young people, persons with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, single and women-headed households, and poor households, with escalating rates of gender-based violence being reported. Although there are many challenges faced in adequately containing and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the lessons learned could provide valuable insights for policy makers and researchers globally.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Report biblioteca |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2023-12-18
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| Subjects: | UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE, COVID-19 IMPACT, PANDEMIC RESPONSE CASE STUDY, COVID VACCINATION, PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO COVID, GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099110823205735347/P17539803f72170fe09b5d0750afb29b329 https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/40752 |
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| Summary: | The Fiji government responded quickly
and moved decisively with stringent measures following the
identification of the first COVID-19 case and took various
effective measures to prevent its spread. It has been quick
to implement public health emergency measures including
lockdowns, curfews, physical distancing, travel
restrictions, and international border closures to prevent
imported cases of the virus. While the Fiji government used
its endorsed Health and Emergencies Disaster Management Plan
(HEADMAP) and did not view the pandemic as a new concept
requiring a new approach, its application remains one that
is innovative and potentially transformative, especially for
Fiji and the Pacific region. A total of 65,713 cases (7,426
per 100,000 population) and 866 deaths (98 per 100,000
population) have been reported up until June 30, 2022. The
Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) in Fiji
mobilized its staff to serve at designated fever clinics and
isolation facilities in hospitals and communities, and it
gradually increased its sentinel sites for polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) tests, with additional capacity to undertake
GeneXpert COVID-19 testing. Since the first confirmed case
of COVID-19 was identified in Fiji on March 19, 2020, the
government of Fiji has taken proactive and effective
measures, including nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)
such as school and workplace closure, community quarantine,
limiting size of meetings, restricting travel, stay-at-home
guidelines for high-risk people, teleworking, closure of
high risk venues, and personal hygiene measures; active
surveillance and case detection; and appropriate case
management using various strategies including fever clinics,
contact tracing, supervision, and home quarantine to ensure
safe delivery of clinical services. The pandemic has
disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable and
marginalized groups, including women, children, older
people, young people, persons with disabilities, the LGBTQI+
community, single and women-headed households, and poor
households, with escalating rates of gender-based violence
being reported. Although there are many challenges faced in
adequately containing and responding to the COVID-19
pandemic, some of the lessons learned could provide valuable
insights for policy makers and researchers globally. |
|---|