Fiji declares HIV national crisis

Fiji has declared HIV a national crisis and is preparing to introduce a formal needle and syringe program as part of a broader government response to a sharp rise in HIV infections.

Estimates suggest that about one in every 60 adults in Fiji is living with HIV, said the country’s minister for Health and Medical Services Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu at a press conference on Tuesday. A total of 2,016 new HIV diagnoses were recorded in Fiji in 2025, while HIV prevalence among women attending antenatal care has risen to about 2 percent, Lalabalavu said. The government is expected to introduce the necessary legislative amendments at the next sitting of parliament.