27 March 2003 - Taveuni Community Health Project

 
The newly constructed Taveuni Hospital complex which is part of the Taveuni Community Health Project will be officially opened by His Excellency the President of the Republic of the Fiji Islands, Ratu Joseva Iloilovatu Uluivuda, tomorrow, 28 March 2003.

The Taveuni Community Health Project is a partnership between the Government of Fiji through the Ministry of Health and the Government of Australia through AusAID for health improvement programmes for the people and community in and around the Taveuni Medical Sub Division.

The major portion of the funding for the project is provided by the Government of Australia estimated at A$11 million while the Government of Fiji has contributed approximately $A1.2 million. The project covers community development; health promotion; capacity building; human resource development and training; health information systems; and the construction and upgrading of health facilities including nursing stations, health centres and the main hospital in Waiyevo.

Construction and upgrading of Bouma Nursing Station, Qamea Health Centre and Yacata Nursing Station in the Taveuni Sub Division have been completed and work is currently ongoing and in the final stages of completion for the upgrading of the Vuna Nursing Station.

Construction of a new Health Centre in Waimaqera to serve the expanding district of Vuna will commence in May 2003, and work is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

This project is one of a portfolio of assistance that Australia has been providing to the Fiji health sector since 1999. Other major projects include assistance to the Fiji School of Medicine and the Fiji Health Management Reform Project.

Australia and Fiji are currently working on arrangements for a new program of assistance to commence in January 2004. The Fiji Health Sector Improvement Program (FHSIP) will build on the achievements of the Taveuni Community Health Project and the Fiji Health Management Reform Project. The FHSIP will focus on supporting the continued decentralisation of the Ministry of Health, community health and health promotion, rural health service delivery and human resource development. It is expected that the FHSIP will be an investment of approximately A$20-25 million over a five year period.