Fiji declares HIV a national crisis as diagnoses surge

Fifty-nine babies were born with HIV last year, and 18 ​died before their first birthday, the government said View of the port in Suva, Fiji, September 5, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS Fiji has declared HIV a national crisis after new diagnoses climbed 27% last year, intensifying concern that an epidemic once concentrated among ​people who inject drugs is spreading more widely through the Pacific ‌island nation. The government said in a statement posted on Facebook that 2,016 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2025 and estimated that one in 60 adults was living with ​the disease. Fifty-nine babies were born with HIV last year, and 18 ​died before their first birthday, it also said. Authorities said expanded ⁠testing had helped uncover infections, enabling earlier treatment. Fiji now plans to ​widen access to free, voluntary and confidential testing, prevention medicines, as well as ​harm-reduction services for injecting drug users and treatment. Read: SHC orders high-level probe into HIV spread among children at Karachi hospital Fiji, a country of around 900,000 people, is experiencing one of the world's sharpest rises in new infections, according to UNAIDS. It estimates ​that 9,100 Fijians were living with HIV last year and that only ​39% knew their status, and that 22% were receiving antiretroviral treatment. "Fiji has recognised the urgency ‌of ⁠the moment and is stepping up its response," UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said. "It is also a stark reminder to the world that AIDS is not over." Among cases with a known transmission route, more than half were linked ​to sexual transmission ​and over 42% ⁠to injecting drug use, UNAIDS said. The agency welcomed government plans for a needle-and-syringe programme and expanded access to ​pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medicine used to lower the risk of contracting ​HIV. The ⁠government has set up a five-minister Cabinet subcommittee to remove barriers to action. It said discrimination against people living with HIV is illegal and services are available ⁠nationwide. Fiji's ​estimate of one in 60 adults living with ​HIV remains below parts of Africa, where nearly 1 in 35 adults are living with HIV, ​according to the World Health Organisation.