Fiji declares national crisis over rising HIV cases

Fiji has declared a national crisis over a recent rise in HIV cases, adopting plans to allocate more health resources toward stopping the disease’s transmission.

Antonio Lalabalavu, Fiji’s minister for health and medical services, declared HIV a national emergency on Tuesday. The nation previously declared an HIV outbreak in January 2025.

In 2025, Fiji recorded 2,016 new HIV diagnoses, including 59 babies born with HIV, its government announced in a Facebook post Tuesday. Last year, the number of new HIV diagnoses in Fiji also rose by 27%, according to Reuters.

Under the new emergency declaration, the Fijian government will devote additional resources toward curbing HIV transmission, according to the Facebook post.

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Government officials plan to expand access to rapid HIV tests, medications for HIV prevention and treatment, and harm reduction resources for people who use injectable drugs, which can be a mode of transmission for HIV.

“The response is focused on protecting lives, improving access to health services and reducing stigma,” the post reads. The nation’s HIV interventions will receive financial support from Australia, New Zealand, India, the Global Fund, and the United Nations.

“Fiji has recognized the urgency of the moment and is stepping up its response,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, in a Wednesday press release. “It is also a stark reminder to the world that AIDS is not over. HIV epidemics can change quickly, and countries need health and community systems that are ready to respond urgently.”

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More than half of new cases with a known mode of transmission were linked to sexual transmission, and nearly half came from injection drug use, according to UNAIDS. To address transmission via injection drug use, UNAIDS aims to introduce a needle and syringe program to the country pending parliamentary approval, according to the press release.

“The national crisis declaration is a call for action, not fear. HIV is not transmitted through everyday contact, and people on effective treatment with an undetectable viral load do not sexually transmit HIV,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “Fiji still has an opportunity to change the course of this epidemic. Stronger cooperation across the Pacific and sustained international solidarity can reinforce the national effort and help accelerate action.”

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Fiji is home to more than 937,000 people, according to 2026 numbers from the United Nations. UNAIDS estimated that 9,100 Fiji residents were living with HIV in 2025, but that only 39% knew their HIV status, and only 22% of people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral treatment.

“The national crisis declaration is a call for action, not fear. HIV is not transmitted through everyday contact, and people on effective treatment with an undetectable viral load do not sexually transmit HIV,” said Eamonn Murphy, Pacific regional director for UNAIDS, in Wednesday’s press release. “Fiji still has an opportunity to change the course of this epidemic. Stronger cooperation across the Pacific and sustained international solidarity can reinforce the national effort and help accelerate action.