Fiji forms Cabinet subcommittee to tackle HIV response barriers
Fiji establishes Cabinet subcommittee to remove HIV response barriers.
Event / Health
Fiji HIV Emergency
Fiji declares national HIV emergency following a 27% surge in new diagnoses in 2025, reaching 2,060 cases, with HIV prevalence rising to one in 60 adults. Government implements emergency response measures including expanded testing, prevention medicines, harm-reduction services, and a proposed needle and syringe programme.
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2026-09-18 to 2026-11-05 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 18 Sept, 02:53 UTC
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What happened
Fiji records 2,060 new HIV diagnoses in 2025 with 27% year-over-year increase
Fiji recorded 2,060 new HIV diagnoses in 2025, representing a 27% increase in new diagnoses compared to the previous year. This reflects one of the sharpest increases in new HIV infections globally, with new infections spiking 12-fold between 2010 and 2025 according to UNAIDS.
Fiji government establishes five-minister Cabinet subcommittee to address HIV response barriers
The Fiji government established a five-minister Cabinet subcommittee focused on removing barriers to HIV action and strengthening the coordinated response to the epidemic.
Over 42% of Fiji HIV cases linked to injecting drug use
Among HIV cases in Fiji with a known mode of transmission, over half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42% were linked to injecting drug use. The escalation of methamphetamine use in Fiji, coupled with unsafe injecting practices and lack of access to clean needles, has fueled the rapid spread of HIV.
Fiji expands HIV testing, prevention medicines, and harm-reduction services
Fiji announced plans to widen access to free, voluntary, and confidential HIV testing, expand prevention medicines including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and increase harm-reduction services for injecting drug users. The government also plans to introduce a needle and syringe programme, with legislative amendments expected to go before parliament.
Fifty-nine babies born with HIV in Fiji in 2025; 18 died before first birthday
In 2025, 59 babies were born with HIV in Fiji, and 18 infants died from HIV-related complications before reaching their first birthday.
Estimated 9,100 Fijians living with HIV with low awareness and treatment rates
UNAIDS estimates that 9,100 Fijians were living with HIV in 2025. Of this population, only 39% were aware of their HIV status and only 22% were accessing antiretroviral treatment.
HIV prevalence in Fiji increases to one in 60 adults
The government estimates that one in every 60 adults in Fiji is now living with HIV, a significant increase from one in 167 adults five years ago. Additionally, one in 50 pregnant women in Fiji has HIV.
Fiji declares national HIV emergency following surge in diagnoses
Fiji's health minister formally declared a national health emergency in response to a significant spike in HIV infections. The declaration followed a cabinet decision on September 9, 2025, recognizing that an outbreak-level response was insufficient to address what the government characterized as an epidemic requiring urgent coordinated response.
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Fifty-nine Fijian infants born with HIV; eighteen died before age one
Fifty-nine Fijian infants born with HIV in 2025; eighteen died before age one.
Fiji's HIV cases surge 27% as epidemic spreads across population
Fiji declares HIV emergency as cases surge 27% with low treatment awareness.