Fiji declares national HIV emergency as infections surge

Fiji has declared a national health emergency over a sharp rise in HIV infections, with authorities warning that the Pacific island nation now needs a coordinated response beyond routine outbreak measures.

Health and Medical Services Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu announced the emergency after a cabinet decision on 9 September. The government estimates that about one in every 60 adults in Fiji is living with HIV, compared with roughly one in 167 five years ago.

Fiji recorded 2,060 new HIV diagnoses in 2025, while the government estimates that one in every 50 pregnant women has the virus. The country has a population of fewer than one million people.

According to UNAIDS, Fiji is experiencing one of the fastest increases in new HIV infections globally. The UN agency says new infections rose twelve-fold between 2010 and 2025.

Health officials and international agencies have linked the worsening epidemic partly to rising methamphetamine use. Fiji’s position on regional drug-trafficking routes, combined with unsafe injecting practices and limited access to sterile needles, has increased transmission risks. Sexual transmission also remains a major factor.

UNAIDS data show that, among cases where the mode of transmission is known, more than half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42 percent to injecting drug use.

The crisis has also been aggravated by stigma, limited health awareness and gaps in testing and treatment. Of an estimated 9,100 people living with HIV in Fiji in 2025, only 39 percent knew their status and just 22 percent were receiving antiretroviral treatment, according to the UN agency.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima welcomed Fiji’s decision to escalate its response, saying the rapid change in the country’s epidemic demonstrated the need for health and community systems capable of responding urgently.

The government plans to introduce a needle-and-syringe programme, with legislative amendments expected to be presented to parliament. Authorities are also seeking to expand HIV prevention, testing and access to treatment.

Source: The Guardian, 17 September 2026.

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