Praneeta Prakash 
Fiji is struggling to connect newly diagnosed HIV patients to essential treatment services, leaving individuals untreated and increasing the risk of further transmission across the community.
Speaking during a workshop on the Needle and Syringe Programme, Senior Medical Officer at the Suva Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic, Dr. Dashika Balak revealed that 27 percent of people diagnosed with HIV last year were never linked to care, meaning they have not started treatment.
Dr. Balak says that despite the escalating urgency of Fiji’s HIV outbreak, only 45 percent of newly diagnosed patients were successfully connected to treatment services.
She adds that as of last year, just 38 percent of all HIV patients in Fiji are currently on treatment, a figure she describes as deeply concerning and far below the global target of 95 percent.
“We still have a lot of work to do in trying to trace and re-engage all these patients who are unlinked to care, because they are continuously out there transmitting. So this is showing you the percentage of people with HIV who are on treatment, and only 38% of our patients are currently on treatment.”
Dr. Balak is urging health authorities, policymakers, and community partners to urgently scale up programs that quickly bring patients into care, including harm reduction strategies such as the proposed National Needle and Syringe Programme. Program.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
