Key Takeaways:
- Fiji declared the Fiji HIV Emergency following 2,060 new HIV diagnoses in 2025.
- Injecting drug use and sexual transmission drove the sharp rise in infections.
- The government is expanding testing, treatment access, and needle exchange programs.
Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after 2,060 new diagnoses in 2025, with rising methamphetamine use, injecting drug use and sexual transmission driving a sharp increase in infections.
Fiji Reports Sharp Rise In HIV Infections
Health authorities estimate about one in 60 adults in Fiji is now living with HIV, compared with one in 167 five years ago. The Pacific island nation has fewer than 1 million people.
The government first declared an HIV outbreak in January 2025 and expanded testing. The effort revealed a growing number of infections and highlighted gaps in diagnosis and treatment.
Health Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu declared the Fiji HIV Emergency Tuesday, saying the latest figures demonstrate the “seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent, coordinated response our country now needs.”
UNAIDS estimates that about 9,100 people were living with HIV in Fiji in 2025. Only 39% knew their status, while 22% were receiving antiretroviral treatment, according to the agency.
The country recorded 117 HIV-related deaths in 2025, compared with 25 in 2021, according to national health statistics.
Renata Ram, a UNAIDS adviser in Fiji, said the scale of undiagnosed infections remains a major concern.
“What concerns me most is the speed of the epidemic and the number of people who may be living with HIV without knowing it,” Ram told CNN.
Drug Use Adds Pressure To Fiji’s Health Response
Injecting drug use has become a major route of HIV transmission in Fiji amid the Fiji HIV Emergency. Among cases where the transmission method was known, more than 42% were linked to injecting drug use, while more than half were linked to sexual transmission, UNAIDS said.
Health officials and international agencies have linked the increase in injecting drug use partly to Fiji’s growing role as a transit point for illegal drugs moving from the Americas toward Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia.
The outbreak also affects infants. Save the Children Fiji reported that 59 babies acquired HIV from their mothers in 2025. A two-month-old infant was identified as the youngest known patient living with both HIV and tuberculosis, according to the organization.
Stigma, limited testing and low condom use also complicate efforts to slow transmission, health officials said.
Government Expands Testing And Prevention Measures
As part of the Fiji HIV Emergency, Fiji plans to expand HIV testing, treatment and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which helps prevent HIV infection. The government also plans to introduce a needle and syringe program, subject to legislative changes.
A Cabinet subcommittee has been established to address policy and implementation barriers and speed up the national response, UNAIDS said.
UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said Fiji’s declaration shows how quickly HIV epidemics can change.
“Fiji has recognized the urgency of the moment and is stepping up its response,” Byanyima said.
The agency said community groups and peer outreach workers will remain important in connecting people with testing, prevention and treatment while addressing misinformation and discrimination.
Fiji’s Health Ministry said its surveillance report shows the continuing rise in diagnoses related to the Fiji HIV Emergency, while noting that expanded testing and improved reporting have contributed to identifying more cases.
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