The University of Fiji has called on Parliament to strengthen the Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2026 to make it more relevant for the times.
In making its submission to the Social Affairs Committee of Parliament, the University urged Committee members to seize the opportunity and establish a sustainable and effective public health legislative framework that will confront, head on, the challenges and realities affecting the physical and mental well-being of all the communities in Fiji.
For that reason, the Bill must contain a Purpose clause, currently missing, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Shaista Shameem told the Committee. The draft Bill presented to the public for consultation did not explain its purpose. “What is the aim of this Bill?”
“Any public health law must be located in the social fabric of society and provide safeguards for future generations; at the same time, parliament, as representatives of the people, can now consider restructuring the public health system to ensure delivery is devolved to the communities to make everyone feel equally responsible for it, and not just central government”.
The Bill should do more than amend outdated legislation. It should redefine public health for the twenty-first century and include mental as well as physical health protections for all, particularly for those disadvantaged and vulnerable in all the communities, she said.
“Cultural nuances in responses to health issues and crises cannot be under-emphasized in the authorities’ responses to achieving well-being of the nation as a whole”.
Professor Shameem said that a modern public health structure should go beyond hospitals, doctors and the treatment of disease.
“Public health is much broader than medicine; a relevant legislative framework should create conditions in which people can live healthy lives, physically and mentally. Safe drinking water, sanitation, food safety, environmental protection, healthy housing, disease prevention, child protection and wellbeing, protection from domestic violence, and building climate resilience are all matters of public health. A modern Public Health Act should reflect this broader understanding.”
Professor Shameem said one of the University’s principal recommendations is the inclusion of a purpose clause. The Public Health Act contains no statement of purpose. That omission should be addressed. Every modern statute should clearly state its objectives and the principles that guide its implementation. A purpose clause provides direction for decision-makers, assists the courts in interpreting legislation and promotes consistency, accountability and transparency in the exercise of public powers.
She said the University has also recommended that Fiji devolve and de-centralize public health resourcing and services throughout the country so that prevention, protection, especially of women and children, environmental health services, disease surveillance and emergency response are delivered directly to the communities.
“Public health is most effective when decisions and made and services are delivered at community level. Devolving public health services throughout Fiji will strengthen prevention, improve access to services, build local capacity and ensure that rural and maritime communities receive the same level of protection as urban centres.”
Professor Shameem said environmental health must be recognized as one of the foundations of public health delivery and adequately provided for in the legislation.
“Clean water, effective sanitation, food safety, waste management, pollution control and healthy living environments prevent disease before it occurs. The University has therefore recommended stronger environmental health leadership, clearer institutional responsibilities and effective coordination to ensure that environmental health remains central to public health policy.”
She said climate change is now one of the greatest public health challenges facing Fiji. Climate change is not simply an environmental issue. It is a public health issue. It affects the quality of our water, our food security, our environment, the spread of disease and the resilience of our communities. Public health legislation must recognize these realities and provide a framework that strengthens prevention, preparedness and coordinated responses.”
Professor Shameem said effective public health laws also require sensible and effective governance structures. The Bill in its current form creates significant public powers. Those powers are essential for protecting public health, but they must be exercised within a framework of transparency, accountability and appropriate legal safeguards. Good governance strengthens public confidence and ensures that public authorities exercise their powers fairly, lawfully and proportionately.
The University has also recommended that the proposed Central Board of Health include representatives from universities offering medical and nursing qualifications. Professor Shameem said that public health decisions should be informed by science, research and professional expertise.
“Universities make an important contribution through research, innovation and evidence-based advice. Their active participation in the proposed governance and oversight model will strengthen national public health policy and decision-making. Such research may not be accorded the importance it should be, but with adequate funding the Universities can do more in the public health interest”
Professor Shameem said the new law should also reflect contemporary medical knowledge and promote dignity.
“The continued use of the term ‘venereal disease’ in the draft Bill is outdated and carries unnecessary stigma. Modern legislation should adopt respectful and scientifically accurate terminology such as ‘sexually transmitted infections’. The law should never reinforce stigma or discourage people from seeking treatment”.
Professor Shameem said she strongly recommends that domestic violence be recognized as a public health issue.
“Domestic violence is a public health issue, not just about criminal justice. Its consequences extend far beyond the immediate victim, affecting physical and mental health, family wellbeing and community resilience. A modern Public Health Act should recognize this reality by supporting prevention, early intervention, referral pathways and coordinated responses across the health, justice and social sectors.”
Professor Shameem said the protection of children must become a central objective of public health policy.
“The health of our children is one of the strongest indicators of the health of our nation. Children are particularly vulnerable to disease, unsafe environments, poor sanitation, effects of climate crisis and other preventable risks. A modern Public Health Act should expressly recognize children as a priority for protection and promote healthy environments in which every child can grow, learn and thrive.”
The University has also recommended modernizing outdated terminology throughout the legislation, strengthening institutional arrangements for environmental health, improving coordination between public authorities to avoid unnecessary overlap with existing legislation, and adopting a proportionate penalty framework that effectively deters conduct that places public health at risk.
Professor Shameem said Fiji now has an opportunity to enact legislation that looks to the future rather than the past.
“This Bill should do more than amend legislation enacted almost a century ago. It should establish a new vision of public health for Fiji—one that recognizes that protecting health means protecting our environment, supporting our communities, safeguarding children, addressing domestic violence fully, responding to climate crisis and ensuring that public institutions are guided by science, accountability and public good governance. The decisions Parliament makes today will shape the health, safety and wellbeing of generations of Fijians. This is an opportunity that should not be missed.”
The University of Fiji has submitted its recommendations to Parliament Standing Committee to assist in the development of a Public Health Act that is contemporary, evidence-based, inclusive and capable of responding to Fiji’s evolving public health challenges.
