Of the total number of HIV cases presented in Suva yesterday, 553 fall in the 20-29 age category and amongst the reported cases 784 are males. Reported yesterday, of the total number, 990 are of Itaukei, 90 are of Indian descent while 13 are of other races.
In making the announcement, Health Minister Dr Ratu Antonio Lalabalavu said transmission through Injecting Drug Use (IDU) was 223 while those contracting it via sex was at 202. 129 more cases are being evaluated to determine cause of transmission.
Dr Lalabalavu said the 90-Day Plan that has been activated is vital in the attempt to bring these numbers down.
“The HIV Outbreak Response Plan, a focused 90-day effort to fast-track immediate, high-impact interventions to contain the outbreak.”
“From a surge at the end of 2023, we are now experiencing an outbreak. The 90-Day Plan, which we have begun to execute, is designed to fast-track immediate, high-impact interventions as we battle with significant rise in HIV, which we believe is spurred by the current illicit drug epidemic in the country.”
“A person who injects drugs and shares used needles is 29 times more likely to contract HIV, and our data today is a clear reflection of this. To address this, targeted interventions will be introduced to reduce new cases among injecting drug users, including harm reduction programs and greater accessibility to prevention services.”
Dr Lalabalavu confirmed that of 115 HIV related deaths, 34 of those were only diagnosed in 2024.
