Fiji Declares National HIV Emergency as New Infections Surge, Government Expands Testing and Treatment
Fiji has declared HIV a national health emergency as the Pacific island nation confronts a sharp increase in infections. Health Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu announced the emergency on September 15, saying the previous outbreak-level response was no longer sufficient and that the country needed a coordinated national effort.
The scale of the increase has raised particular concern. Fiji’s health authorities estimate that about one in every 60 adults is now living with HIV, compared with approximately one in 167 five years ago. UNAIDS estimates that around 9,100 people were living with HIV in Fiji in 2025.
Official national statistics show that Fiji recorded 2,016 newly diagnosed HIV cases in 2025, a 27% increase from 1,583 cases in 2024. The Health Ministry said the rise reflects both increased transmission and improved detection resulting from expanded testing and surveillance.
The increase has also exposed a major treatment gap. UNAIDS estimates that only 39% of people living with HIV in Fiji knew their HIV status in 2025, while just 22% were receiving antiretroviral treatment. Health authorities therefore face the dual challenge of finding undiagnosed infections and ensuring that people who test positive remain connected to long-term care.
Transmission patterns are also drawing attention. Among cases where the mode of transmission was known, more than half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42% to injecting drug use, according to UNAIDS. Officials have highlighted concerns about unsafe injecting practices amid increased drug use in the country.
The impact on mothers and children has added urgency to the response. Fiji reported that 59 babies were born with HIV in 2025, while 18 died before reaching their first birthday. The government is seeking to strengthen prevention, testing and treatment during pregnancy and improve continuity of care.
Fiji’s emergency response will include expanded free, voluntary and confidential HIV testing, broader access to preventive medicines such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, and wider availability of HIV treatment. The government also plans to introduce a needle-and-syringe programme as part of its harm-reduction strategy.
A five-member Cabinet subcommittee has been established to address barriers slowing the national response. The Health Ministry is also working with communities, faith-based organizations and other partners, while the government is emphasizing the need to reduce stigma and protect the rights and privacy of people living with HIV.
UNAIDS has welcomed Fiji’s decision, describing the country as experiencing one of the world’s sharpest increases in new HIV infections. The agency estimates that new infections increased twelvefold between 2010 and 2025, underscoring the speed at which the epidemic has expanded.
The emergency declaration does not mean HIV is transmitted through ordinary daily contact. UNAIDS stressed that HIV is preventable and treatable, and that people receiving effective treatment who maintain an undetectable viral load do not sexually transmit the virus. Fiji’s expanded response is therefore focused on early diagnosis, prevention, treatment access and sustained community engagement.
For Fiji, the immediate challenge is turning the emergency declaration into expanded testing, treatment and prevention capacity across the country. Officials have acknowledged that the response will require cooperation beyond the health ministry, while international and regional partners are supporting the government as it attempts to reverse one of the Pacific region’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics.
