SUVA, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Fijian President Jioji Konrote opened the 47th Fiji Institute of Accountants Congress in Nadi, Fiji's third largest city on Friday and shared views on how the island nation was facing too many challenges and was also at a critical crossroads because of climate change, among other things.
Konrote said every Fijian should be responsible to face the challenges.
Fiji was at a critical crossroads and the decisions made today would shape the future for all Fijians, he said, adding that challenges included climate change, urbanization and health care.
He said the theme of the Congress - "prioritizing humanity through innovative solutions" - was timely in discussing issues to meet the challenges that Fiji faced as a country.
Suva, the capital city of Fiji, is reportedly facing many challenges of rapid growth with more than 50 percent of its population now living in its cities and that number is set to increase to about 60 percent in the next decade.
Also in Fiji, one of the major risks to its population is the rising crisis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
In recent decades, NCDs have become the biggest killer in Fiji, causing thousands of deaths every year - many of those deaths premature - and affecting the lives of many more.
Around 80 percent of deaths in the island nation are caused by NCDs and those numbers are growing for a population of around 900,000 people.
