The launch of the National Early Childhood Development Policy has re-emphasized the need to improve health services for children, with a call for more pediatric specialists and priority child health services in hospitals and health centers.

Women and Children Minister Lynda Tabuya says improving child health services is key to the success of the new policy unveiled.

Tabuya is optimistic about the policy’s potential to transform child welfare services, making access to skilled health care essential.

“We need more pediatric nurses and doctors. We must develop this capacity. And I think for him, he needs to look at whether he prioritizes the children’s department of the hospital and the health centers to make sure that in each of the health centers you have a child health professional .

Tabuya highlights the need for collective action between government ministries.

“It will be part of our budget process to ensure that we have more facilities and more budget allocations in terms of child care, psychiatric and psychosocial services for children, you know, but also having more capacity within the Ministry of Justice and Fiji. police forces on how to treat children presented as victims or as children in conflict with the law. So we will need this support.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr Jemesa Tudravu, also highlights the importance of this policy in addressing critical areas of child development.

“We are confident that the implementation of this policy will result in several positive outcomes, including that all children will be safe, included and nourished in their families in order to develop optimally physically, cognitively, spiritually, socially, mental and emotional. »

The national ECD policy, supported by the New Zealand Government and UNICEF, aims for overall improvements in children’s health and nutrition, including increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding, strengthening immunization coverage and reducing neonatal mortality.