Most people in Fiji enjoy good health. The country is free of many tropical diseases such as malaria, and cases of tuberculosis or amoebic dysentery are rare. However, economic development and Western culture have brought new health problems to the islands. Pollution-caused by industrial waste, untreated sewage, oil spills and poisons used in fishing-has made the drinking water unsafe in many rural communities. Some fish caught in the waters around Fiji are contaminated. Garbage disposal is a national concern. The incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and alcoholism is increasing, especially in cities. The government has established programs to educate the people about these health issues.

Many indigenous Fijians consult traditional healers. Healers distinguish between two types of illness: tauvimate dina ("real sickness," that is, illness caused by physical problems) and tauvimate vakatevoro (illness due to spiritual problems). Most traditional healers are older men, but in urban centres, many healers are younger women.

A visit to a healer always begins with a ritual presentation of yaqona. When the healer accepts the gift, he or she receives sacred power (mana) from ancestral spirits (vu) to diagnose the illness correctly and choose an effective treatment. Some healers specialize in massage, others in herbal remedies. Many traditional cures involve plants such as neem, a bitter herb used as a natural antibiotic. Hibiscus leaves, pounded and boiled, are given to women in labour.