Fiji’s monthly HIV cases increased from an average of 29 per month in the first nine months of 2023 to 52 per month in the final three months.
During this period, the number of people dying from HIV increased from 29 to a total of 82 by year-end, with 53 deaths occurring between October and December, equivalent to one death every two days.
In a report released in December last year, the Ministry of Health recorded 258 cases and 29 deaths from January to September. However, in the latest date shared via his parliamentary speech yesterday, Minister for Health Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu revealed a year-end total of 415 cases and 82 deaths, nearly doubling 2022’s recorded cases at 245. This underscores Fiji’s status among the top two countries in the Asia-Pacific region with rapidly rising HIV infections.
Of the 2023 cases, the majority (404) affected adults, while 11 were children, with three from sexual transmission and eight from Mother-To-Child Transmission. Diagnoses included 298 males, 122 females, and 4 transgender individuals, with 31 cases among teenagers aged 15 to 19.
While the Ministry attributes the increase to active case finding, it acknowledges the link between illicit drug use and rising HIV cases, citing practices like Blue Toothing for IV drug users and Chem-Sex among the youth.
Addressing the issue, Dr. Lalabalavu stated that the ministry is finalising an HIV Surge Strategy, focusing on prevention, testing, treatment, stigma reduction, and governance.
Note: Bluetoothing involves injecting a potent mixture and sharing blood to achieve a high. Chem-Sex refers to using drugs to enhance sexual intercourse
