Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after a sharp increase in new infections, with health authorities estimating that about one in every 60 adults in the Pacific island nation was living with HIV in 2025.

The government formally declared the emergency in September, following years of rapidly rising diagnoses. Fiji recorded 2,016 newly diagnosed HIV cases in 2025, a 27% increase from the previous year and roughly 16 times the number recorded in 2019, according to Fiji’s Ministry of Health.

UNAIDS estimates that around 9,100 people were living with HIV in Fiji in 2025. However, only about 39% of people living with the virus knew their HIV status, while just 22% were receiving antiretroviral treatment.

Health officials say the crisis is being driven by several factors, including sexual transmission and increasing injecting drug use. Among cases where the mode of transmission was known, more than half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42% were associated with injecting drug use, according to UNAIDS.

The rise in injecting drug use has become a particular concern as Fiji has increasingly been used as a transit point for illegal drugs moving through the Pacific toward larger markets in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Health officials have warned that sharing needles and other injecting equipment can significantly increase the risk of HIV transmission.

The crisis has also affected newborns. Fiji reported 59 babies born with HIV in 2025, while 18 died before reaching their first birthday, according to figures cited by Reuters, AP and the Fijian government. HIV can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

The estimated prevalence has risen considerably over the past five years. Around one in 167 people in Fiji was estimated to be living with HIV five years ago, compared with approximately one in 60 adults today. UNAIDS said new HIV infections in Fiji increased about 12-fold between 2010 and 2025, making the country one of the places experiencing the sharpest increases globally.

Fiji’s response has been complicated by limited awareness, stigma and difficulties accessing healthcare. Community advocates say some people avoid testing or treatment because they fear being recognized at HIV clinics or facing discrimination.

Joeli Colati, executive director of Fiji Network Plus, told CNN that stigma, poverty, transportation, confidentiality concerns and fear can all prevent people from seeking care. He also emphasized that having HIV does not prevent people from living healthy lives when they receive appropriate treatment.

Health Minister Atonio Lalabalavu has called for a coordinated national response. The government plans to expand free and confidential HIV testing, increase access to treatment and broaden the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.

Authorities also plan to introduce a formal needle and syringe program for people who inject drugs. UNAIDS welcomed the measure, saying harm-reduction services could play an important role in reducing transmission.

The government has also established a five-minister Cabinet subcommittee to address policy and implementation barriers. Officials have stressed that discrimination against people living with HIV is illegal and urged people who may have been exposed to seek testing rather than wait for symptoms.

WHO said Fiji’s situation is serious but emphasized that effective testing, early diagnosis, treatment, needle and syringe programs, community support and efforts to reduce stigma can help control the outbreak. Modern HIV treatment can also allow people living with the virus to live long and healthy lives.

The emergency declaration places Fiji’s rapidly growing HIV epidemic at the center of the country’s public-health response. Health authorities and international agencies are now focusing on identifying undiagnosed infections, expanding treatment and prevention, and reducing the barriers that have kept many people from accessing HIV services.

sources: Reuters — Fiji declares HIV a national crisis as diagnoses surge