Poverty was prevalent in our midst long before COVID-19 arrived – Gavoka

SODELPA says we need to provide efficient testing protocols as we did for COVID-19 for early detection and mitigation of non-communicable diseases.

They want the Bainimarama government to walk the talk when they say no one should be left behind in accessing quality food.

In his message for World Food Day, SODELPA Leader Viliame Gavoka says he wants to remind the government that poverty was prevalent in our midst long before COVID-19 arrived.

He says the Housing Income and Expenditure Survey 2019-2020 revealed that 258,053 of the population of 864,132 were living in poverty.

Gavoka adds it is now worse with COVID-19, with all the restrictions and economic meltdown.

Around 80% of deaths in Fiji are caused by an NCD and those numbers are growing.