The Fijian government has officially declared HIV a national health crisis, committing to a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to curb a significant surge in infections and safeguard communities nationwide. The announcement, made earlier this week, highlights alarming statistics showing that new HIV diagnoses reached 2,016 in 2025, representing a 16-fold increase compared to figures from 2019.
Data indicates the virus is spreading beyond traditional high-risk demographics, such as drug users and sex workers, into the broader population. The adult prevalence rate in the island nation of approximately 900,000 people has nearly tripled over the past five years. Currently, an estimated one in every 60 adults lives with HIV, a stark rise from one in 167 five years ago.
The government also revealed concerning maternal and child health metrics, noting that two in every 100 pregnant women are living with HIV. In 2025, 59 babies were born with the virus, and 18 of those infants died before reaching their first birthday.
Health Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu and four other Cabinet ministers will form a specialized sub-committee aimed at removing bureaucratic obstacles to rapid intervention. The administration in Suva is expanding access to free HIV testing, prevention services, and treatment. These efforts include rapid testing, preventive medication for high-risk individuals, harm-reduction programs for people who inject drugs, and complimentary antiretroviral therapy for diagnosed patients.
“The response is focused on protecting lives, improving access to health services and reducing stigma,” the government stated. It emphasized that testing remains free and confidential across the country, urging citizens to get screened to make informed health decisions.
The UN Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomed Fiji’s declaration. UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanymia noted that Fiji has recognized the urgency of the moment and stepped up its response, serving as a reminder that “AIDS is not over” and that epidemics can shift rapidly.
However, UNAIDS estimates that fewer than half of Fiji’s HIV-positive population was aware of their status as of last year. Among cases with a known mode of transmission, more than half were linked to sexual contact and over 42% to injecting drug use. New infections in the country increased 12-fold between 2010 and 2025. Of the estimated 9,100 people living with HIV in 2025, only 39% knew their status, and just 22% were accessing antiretroviral treatment.
UNAIDS’ Eamonn Murphy stressed that the crisis declaration is a call for action rather than fear, pointing out that effective treatment prevents sexual transmission. Fiji’s UNAIDS country director, Renata Ram, told the AFP news agency that transmission rates began climbing around 2019 with the emergence of a “very high-risk” group of injecting drug users, primarily within the sex worker community.
Pacific islands like Fiji have become transit hubs for drugs originating from Latin America and Asia, destined for markets in Australia and New Zealand. This trafficking route has also fueled local drug use, often facilitated by foreign crime syndicates paying local associates with product.
Fiji is receiving support from international partners, including Australia, New Zealand, India, the Global Fund, and the United Nations, as it works to reverse the epidemic’s trajectory.
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