SUVA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- As part of efforts to promote a healthier and productive civil service, the Fijian government launched the first-ever national policy on healthy catering for the government on Wednesday.

The policy has been designed to ensure that meals, snacks, and beverages provided at all government facilities encourage healthier choices in a bid to address the rising concern of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Fiji, according to the office of the Fijian Prime Minister.

Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Service Sitiveni Rabuka has urged civil servants and the general public to evaluate their sedentary lifestyle, adding that he also expects significant savings through this policy.

Fiji's Minister for Health Atonio Lalabalavu said this policy forms part of the government's plans to combat the rise of NCDs, which have now become a national emergency, causing over 84 percent of deaths annually.

NCDs including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, represent the single largest cause of premature mortality in the Pacific Islands, according to the World Health Organization.

The rise of NCDs in Pacific island countries has been driven primarily by four major risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and the harmful use of alcohol. Enditem

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