Home · World · Sep 16 archive
Fiji Declares National HIV Emergency
Confirmed
In Short: Fiji has declared a national health emergency due to a rapid increase in HIV infections, with one in every 60 adults now living with the virus.
Fiji has declared a national health emergency due to a rapid increase in HIV infections, with one in every 60 adults now living with the virus, compared to one in 167 five years ago, according to UNAIDS.
Health Minister Atonio Lalabalavu declared the emergency on Tuesday, stating that the infection situation is serious and requires immediate coordinated action. He noted that in 2025 alone, 2,060 new infections were identified in a country with a population of less than one million.
The emergency declaration comes as HIV is being detected in areas of healthcare not previously at the center of Fiji's response, including maternal health. According to Lalabalavu, one in every 50 pregnant women in Fiji is HIV positive.
Renata Ram, Fiji Country Adviser for UNAIDS, expressed concern over the speed of infection spread and the large number of people unaware of their infection status. She noted that only about 39 percent of people living with HIV in Fiji know their status, and only 22 percent are accessing antiretroviral treatment.
Joleen Kolati, Executive Director of Fiji Network Plus, an organization that supports people living with HIV, highlighted that many people hesitate to get tested and treated due to poverty, difficulty accessing healthcare services, concerns about confidentiality, and social discrimination.
Globally, UNAIDS estimates that an average of 78 percent of people living with HIV are on treatment, but in Fiji, the number is significantly lower. Among HIV cases in Fiji with a known mode of transmission, over half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42% to injecting drug use.
Fiji recorded 2,016 new HIV diagnoses in 2025, 16 times the number recorded in 2019, according to The Australian Today. The agency estimated that new infections increased twelvefold from 2010 to 2025, placing Fiji among countries experiencing the sharpest increases globally.
As part of the emergency response, Fiji is expanding free HIV testing, prevention, and treatment services, including rapid testing, preventive medication for people at higher risk, and harm-reduction measures for people who inject drugs. The government's response will be carried out under Fiji’s HIV/AIDS Act of 2011.
The emergency declaration also includes a new Cabinet-led effort and expanded prevention services. Fiji is receiving support from international partners, including Australia, New Zealand, India, the Global Fund, and the United Nations, as it works to contain the outbreak and reduce stigma.
Dr Jason Mitchell, Chair of Fiji’s National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce, said the crisis has escalated into a wide-reaching epidemic requiring urgent nationwide action. He noted that 17 children died as a result of HIV last year, calling it a tragedy for the country.
Fiji plans to introduce a needle-and-syringe program, with supporting legislative amendments expected to go before Parliament, UNAIDS said. The government aims to protect lives, improve access to health services, and reduce stigma.
"Its purpose is to accelerate action and bring the necessary parts of government together to protect health and save lives," Lalabalavu said in a video address on Tuesday.
What this adds
The emergency declaration highlights the urgent need for a coordinated response to address the rising HIV infection rates in Fiji.
What's confirmed
- Five years ago, it was estimated that about one in every 167 people in Fiji was living with HIV.
- Fiji has declared its escalating HIV epidemic a national emergency after new estimates showed one in every 60 adults is living with the virus, a development with particular relevance to Tonga because of the close and longstanding movement of people between the two Pacific nations.
- Fiji’s Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr Atonio Lalabalavu, announced the national emergency after evidence showed the epidemic had reached a level requiring a stronger and more coordinated response.
- An estimated one in every 60 adults in Fiji is now living with HIV, compared with one in 167 five years ago.
- “An outbreak-level response is no longer sufficient,” Dr Lalabalavu said in a video address on Tuesday.
What's still developing
- While HIV infections are increasing in Fiji, new infections are decreasing worldwide.
- The majority of the rest were infected through sexual contact.
- Fiji is an important regional education hub for Tonga, with many Tongan students studying at the University of the South Pacific’s main Laucala campus in Suva over the years.
- The two countries also maintain extensive family, educational, sporting, religious and other connections, making Fiji’s worsening HIV epidemic an issue of wider regional significance.
- A couple was exploring underwater near Fiji’s Salamanda shipwreck when William Paterson signaled for a photo, then pulled out a ring beneath the surface, catching his girlfriend, Kim, completely off guard. (SWNS) Fiji has officially declared a national HIV emergency on its shores after alarming data revealed that one in 60 adults in the South Pacific island nation is living with the virus.
- The emergency stems from a sharp rise in high-risk methamphetamine use, with widespread needle sharing among drug users acting as a primary driver for the surging infection rates, the AP reported.