‘Take standard health precautions’: Fiji advises tourists amid dengue outbreak

Residents of Balawa in Lautoka conducted a Dengue Clean Up campaign over the weekend. The residents cleaned up the street and drains collecting all litter and cleared potential mosquito breeding grounds as well as clearing blockages in drainage.
Twenty (20) garbage bags of refuse were collected within two hours and disposed at Vunato landfill.
The council also carried out anti mosquito spraying soon after the cleanup.

The Lautoka City Council carried out anti mosquito spraying soon after a Dengue Clean Up campaign over the weekend.
Photo: Ministry of Health & Medical Services – Fiji

The Fijian government is advising visitors “to take standard health precautions” during their stay in the country, as local authorities try to tackle a dengue outbreak.

In a statement on Tuesday, one of the deputy prime ministers, Viliame Gavoka, said the Ministry of Health and Medical Services declared a dengue fever outbreak in the Western Division in February, with additional localised hotspots in the Central, Northern, and Eastern Divisions.

However, Gavoka, who is also the Tourism Minister, said that key tourism areas are not affected.

The tourism sector is the backbone of the Fijian economy, contribbuting 40 percent of its GDP (gross domestic product).

There were almost one million visitor arrivals in 2024, with New Zealanders and Australians accounting for more than 50 percent of them.

“We wish to reassure all travellers that Fiji remains a safe destination,” Gavoka said.

“Based on current advisories, key tourism areas such as Denarau Island and the Coral Coast have not been specifically identified among the affected zones.”

The health ministry confirmed last week that a high school student had died from dengue fever.

Gavoka said the ministry continues to implement its Dengue Action Plan, supported by divisional and sub-divisional outbreak response teams, that are actively investigating and responding to reported cases.

“It is important to note that dengue fever is not uncommon in tropical regions and is a year-round risk in many such destinations,” he said.

“Fiji has successfully managed dengue outbreaks in the past through swift and coordinated public health responses.”

Vilame Gavoka
Photo: Supplied

He said the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention currently maintains a Level 1 travel notice for Fiji, advising travellers to follow routine precautions to prevent mosquito bites.

“Similarly, travel advisories are in place by governments and source markets, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, which advise their citizens to exercise normal precautions.

“All governments have a duty of care to their citizens, wherever in the world they may be staying or visiting,” he added.

Gavoka said the country is looking forward to “welcoming many tourists to Fiji and wish them a safe and enjoyable holiday in the place where happiness comes naturally”.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and our tourism partners, continues to prioritise the health and safety of all visitors.

“We give the highest priority to the safety and security of our citizens and visitors alike and will continue to monitor and implement measures that enforce this.”