2nd Annual ANZ Fiji500 raises over $100,000 for Fiji Oxygen Program
The second annual ANZ Fiji500 for Cure Kids Fiji saw a team of 22 cyclists, including Australian former Paralympian John Maclean, setting off on a 500km ride across Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu last to raise over FJ$100,000 for the Fiji Oxygen Project, which provides life-saving oxygen treatment to hospitals and health centres across Fiji.
The riders reached the finish line at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa, Denarau Island where they were welcome by Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism and Lands and Mineral Resources Faiyaz Siddiq Koya who applauded the efforts of all.
Speaking at the end of the ANZ Fiji500 2018, Mr Koya stressed the need for collaboration between Government and the private sector.
“The Fijian Government strongly believes collaboration between the private and public sector is critical for providing a healthy childhood for all Fijian children,” he said.
“By working together, we will understand each other’s issues and effectively address matters pertaining to providing a heathy childhood for all Fijian children.”
About The Fiji Oxygen Project
Funds raised by the event have been vital in upscaling Cure Kids’ Fiji Oxygen Project, which aims to ensure that no child dies from lack of oxygen.
Severe pneumonia in children and severe newborn illnesses, for which oxygen is a life-saving treatment, are leading causes of death in Fiji with close to 200 children under the age of 5 dying each year.
For pneumonia, treating children with oxygen reduces death by 35%, yet many health facilities in Fiji don’t have a reliable supply.
In collaboration with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services and leading pediatric technical experts, Cure Kids are delivering new ways of improving the availability, affordability and clinical use of oxygen to save lives.
The project replaces oxygen cylinders in health centers – which are expensive, logistically difficult and often result in unreliable oxygen supplies – with bedside oxygen concentrators, which produce oxygen from the ambient air. For health centers with unreliable power supplies, a custom-designed solar power system is installed to ensure that a 24/7 supply of oxygen is available for patients who need it.
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2018 ANZ FIJI 500 CURE KIDS FIJI OXYGEN PROJECT