School of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
PLoS One. 2020 Jul 23;15(7):e0236068. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236068. eCollection 2020.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have emerged as one of the major endemics in Fiji which is responsible for more than 80 percent of deaths annually. In this study, we estimate the economic burden of non-communicable disease mortality in Fiji. The specific impact of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer-related mortality on Fiji's output is also investigated using the autoregressive distributed lag bounds tests approach to cointegration. The data used is compiled from Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services and World Health Organization's Mortality database. Overall, the study finds that NCD mortality rate together with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer have a significant negative effect on output per capita of Fiji between 1972 and 2016. A one percentage point increase in NCD-mortality rate reduced output per capita by 0.012 percent. In addition, a percentage point increase in the mortality rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer decreased output per capita by 0.018, 0.01, 0.031, and 0.035 percent, respectively. The findings conclude that NCD poses significant economic burden in Fiji and recommend policy innovations in lessening the high risk of NCD among the Fijian population.
非传染性疾病（NCDs）已成为斐济的主要地方病之一，每年导致超过 80%的死亡。在这项研究中，我们估算了斐济非传染性疾病死亡的经济负担。还使用自回归分布滞后边界检验方法对协整来研究糖尿病、心血管疾病、慢性呼吸道疾病和癌症相关死亡率对斐济产出的具体影响。使用的数据来自斐济卫生部和世界卫生组织的死亡率数据库。总的来说，该研究发现，1972 年至 2016 年期间，非传染性疾病死亡率以及心血管疾病、糖尿病、慢性呼吸道疾病和癌症的死亡率对斐济人均产出有显著的负面影响。非传染性疾病死亡率每增加一个百分点，人均产出就会减少 0.012%。此外，心血管疾病、糖尿病、慢性呼吸道疾病和癌症死亡率每增加一个百分点，人均产出就会分别减少 0.018%、0.01%、0.031%和 0.035%。研究结果表明，非传染性疾病给斐济带来了巨大的经济负担，并建议采取政策创新措施，降低斐济人口患非传染性疾病的高风险。
