Fiji declares HIV a national emergency as cases surge
One in 60 adults in the tiny Pacific nation of less than a million people are living with the virus.
Fiji declares HIV a national emergency as cases surge
The HIV epidemic has put pressure on Fiji’s health services
Fiji has declared a national emergency as HIV cases rise sharply, and it is widening access to testing, treatment and prevention services.
Around one in 60 adults in the small Pacific archipelago is now living with the bloodborne virus, up from one in 167 five years ago, while more babies are dying from HIV-related complications.
The country of fewer than one million people recorded 2,016 new diagnoses in 2025 alone, Health Minister Antonio Lalabalavu said, adding that "an outbreak-level response is no longer sufficient".
Health experts and NGOs previously told the BBC that a worsening pattern of drug use, unsafe sex, needle sharing and "bluetoothing" is driving the epidemic.
"Bluetoothing" or "hotspotting" is the risky practice in which intravenous drug users inject the blood of people who are already intoxicated, a trend that has contributed to a global HIV increase, particularly in parts of Africa and the Pacific.
Its appeal partly lies in the lower cost: several people can contribute to one hit and share it. Another factor is the ease of using just one syringe, which are hard to obtain in Fiji.
One in 60 adults live with the bloodborne virus, with a rising number of babies dying from HIV-related complications
As part of its response to the national crisis, the Fijian government will launch a syringe and needle programme.
Lalabalavu says the country already has enough syringes and needles, and legislative changes will be brought before parliament so the programme can begin.
The minister also called on people to come forward for testing.
"No one should be ashamed, threatened, or excluded because of their HIV status," he said. "Stigma drives people away from the very services that can help them."
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS), of the 9,100 Fijians living with HIV in 2025, only 39% knew their status and just 22% were receiving antiretroviral treatment.
That is in sharp contrast to the global average, where 78% of people with HIV are accessing treatment.
Jason Mitchell, who heads the national HIV response taskforce, says it will take "upwards of five years for [Fiji] to get on top of the epidemic".
"It's a long-term programme, it's not something like Covid that's turned around in two years. HIV is very different," he told ABC News is an interview.
Mitchell said the HIV epidemic has strained Fiji’s health services. "For a health system that's already struggling, to have people who should really be well because there's treatment available taking up beds in hospitals and sitting in outpatient... Our clinical services has really been under a lot of pressure."
UNAIDS has welcomed Fiji’s emergency declaration, saying it shows the urgency needed to lift the response to a higher level across government and society.
"It is also a stark reminder to the world that Aids is not over. HIV epidemics can change quickly, and countries need health and community systems that are ready to respond urgently," said the executive director of UNAIDS Winnie Byanyima.