Rapid action is needed to strengthen the national HIV surveillance system and have a more accurate picture of the epidemic’s dynamics.

UNAIDS is supporting the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in finalizing its surge strategy and welcomes the added support from the Global Fund, Australia, and United Nations partners.

Available data suggests that the HIV epidemic in Fiji has been growing in recent years, with 2000 people living with HIV in Fiji in 2022.

Regional Director of UNAIDS Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, Eamonn Murphy

Regional Director of UNAIDS Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, Eamonn Murphy, says multiple factors are at play when it comes to the increase in HIV cases.

“The last couple of years have shown that we have new elements in the epidemic, and that means new responses will be required. Fiji was doing well, but now, with an over 260 percent increase in the last couple of years, it has really changed the dynamics.”

Murphy has called for a comprehensive response that addresses the needs of all vulnerable Fijians.

He adds that there is a need to understand the dynamics and what the mode of transmission is.

Murphy says people are still presenting with late-stage illnesses, which is a concern.

UNAIDS estimates that between 2010 and 2022, new infections increased by 260 percent, as Fiji has the second fastest-growing epidemic in the Asia Pacific region, after the Philippines.