Fiji declares HIV a national crisis as diagnoses surge
The government says 2,016 new diagnoses in 2025 and rising injecting drug use are driving a broader outbreak.
- On Tuesday, Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu declared a national HIV emergency in Fiji, citing the 'seriousness of the epidemic' after new diagnoses climbed 27% last year.
- Rising intravenous drug use, exacerbated by Fiji's role as a transit hub for illicit smuggling routes, has driven the surge; injecting drugs account for over 42% of cases.
- One in 60 Fijian adults now lives with HIV, while the epidemic has reached newborns; last year, 59 babies acquired the virus from their mothers, with 18 dying before their first birthday.
- The government pledged a 'whole-of-government response' including a cabinet-led needle and syringe programme to reduce transmission risks, with Lalabalavu announcing rapid expansion of testing and prevention services.
- UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima called the surge 'one of the sharpest increases in new HIV infections globally,' describing it as a 'stark reminder to the world that AIDS is not over.
93 Articles
93 Articles
Fiji declared national emergency in the face of the advance of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), after the number of new diagnoses reach 2,106 in 2025, 16 times more than that recorded in 2019. The government estimates that currently one in 60 adults in the Pacific island country living with HIV. Polylaminine: Laboratório Cristália begins clinical study to test treatment against spinal cord injury Study reveals: 8 in 10 cases of lung cance…
Deutsche Welle
tempo.coFiji declares HIV a national crisis, 1 in 60 adults carry it
Fiji's government estimates that HIV prevalence has almost tripled in the last five years. It's expanding testing, prevention and treatment services. In 2025 the tiny island recorded 16 times more new cases than in 2019.
Rapid increase in cases - Concern about spread beyond intravenous drug users
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