Health

HIV burden likely higher than reported

January 24, 2025 6:41 am

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr Jemesa Tudravu says the projections estimate around 6,100 people living with HIV, significantly more than the initial estimate of 2,600, largely due to high-risk populations like intravenous drug users.

While 1,093 new HIV cases have been reported in the first nine months of 2024, experts warn that the actual number may be higher.

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr Jemesa Tudravu says they had engaged international expert with the support of UNAIDS to make projections and provide estimates of HIV burden in Fiji.

He says the projections estimate around 6,100 people living with HIV, significantly more than the initial estimate of 2,600, largely due to high-risk populations like intravenous drug users.

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Dr Tudravu says despite the growing numbers, treatment coverage remains critically low with only 35 percent currently on treatment.

“Significant challenges are also faced. With the loss to follow-up with over 50% of people living with HIV who are currently lost to follow-ups. That means they’ve been diagnosed, they’ve started treatment, and they’ve walked away and have not come back. They have not maintained their treatment. Untreated HIV individuals are at risk of serious health impacts, including death. And importantly, untreated people are able to transmit HIV to others.”

Dr Tudravu says the National HIV Surge Strategy 2024-2027 aims to close this treatment gap by ensuring that 95 percent receive treatment.

“We need to consider and rapidly introduce high-impact prevention interventions that have been successful in high-prevalent countries. These include pre-exposure prophylaxis, or Prep in short, needle and syringe exchange programs, strengthen our condom distribution programs, and other high-impact prevention interventions that can be used in observation.”

Dr Tudravu stresses that without any significant prevention or preventative intervention, it is projected that the number of people living with HIV will rise to 25,000 in the next four years.