Overview
- The government formally declared a national HIV emergency on Tuesday, Sept. 15, saying an estimated one in 60 adults now has HIV after roughly 2,016–2,060 new diagnoses were recorded in 2025.
- Officials and UN agencies say the surge has been driven in large part by rising methamphetamine use and injecting drug use, with needle sharing contributing heavily to new infections.
- About 9,000 people were living with HIV in Fiji in 2025, but only around 39% knew their status and about 22% were on antiretroviral treatment, leaving large gaps in diagnosis and care.
- The government has pledged rapid expansion of free rapid testing, broader access to antiretroviral treatment and PrEP, and plans to introduce a formal needle‑and‑syringe programme and other harm‑reduction measures.
- Health workers warn Fiji’s underfunded public health system, social stigma, rising mother‑to‑child transmission and the islands’ role in regional drug routes mean control will take sustained funding, legal steps and community outreach to succeed.