Fiji faces HIV crisis, declares national emergency

The Fijian government declared a national emergency after data revealed a significant increase in HIV cases across the country.

In 2025, authorities diagnosed 2,016 people with HIV, a 27 percent rise from the previous year. This means approximately one in 60 adults in Fiji now live with the virus, a substantial increase from the one in 167 rate recorded five years ago.

The government is responding by expanding access to HIV testing, preventative medicines, and harm reduction services, particularly for people who inject drugs. Officials noted that limited access to sterile needles, stemming from law enforcement operations, has hindered efforts to prevent transmission through shared needles. Jason Mitchell, Chair of Fiji's National HIV Outbreak Response, praised the government’s quick action and predicted controlling the epidemic will take at least five years.

UNAIDS estimates that 9,100 Fijians were living with HIV in 2025, but only 39 percent of those individuals knew their status, and 22 percent received antiretroviral treatment. The agency welcomed the government’s plans to implement a needle and syringe program and increase access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Fiji has also formed a five-minister cabinet subcommittee to address barriers to effective action and affirmed that discrimination against people living with HIV is illegal.