Fiji Declares National HIV Emergency as Infections Surge
Fiji declares a national HIV emergency, expanding free testing, clean needles and treatment as new infections rise 12-fold over 15 years.
Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after new estimates showed that one in every 60 adults in the country is living with the virus, a sharp rise from one in 167 five years ago.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, about 9,000 people in the Pacific island nation were living with HIV in 2025, in a country of fewer than a million residents. The agency estimates that only 39% of those infected know their status, and just 22% are receiving antiretroviral treatment.
New infections have climbed 12-fold over the past 15 years, according to UNAIDS.
Health Minister Antonio Lalabalavu, in a video statement posted on Facebook, described the situation as a national crisis requiring an urgent response. "More people in Fiji are living with HIV than ever before," he said, adding that the government would no longer treat the issue as business as usual.
The government said its expanded testing programme is identifying more cases because it is reaching more people. It plans to offer additional free testing, provide clean needles to drug users and supply free treatment to those who test positive.
Officials framed the measures as a public health response rather than a punitive one. "This is about protecting people — not judging them, not watching them, not shaming them," the government said in its statement.