Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after a sharp rise in infections coincided with a surge in methamphetamine use across the Pacific nation.
Health and medical services minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu announced the declaration on social media, saying an outbreak‑level response was no longer enough to manage what he described as an epidemic. He cited that one in every 60 adults in Fiji now lives with HIV, compared with one in 167 five years ago, and that 2,060 new diagnoses were recorded in 2025. The minister also noted that one in 50 pregnant women is infected.
The country’s position as a drug‑running hub and the growing use of methamphetamine have accelerated the spread of HIV. Unsafe injecting practices, a shortage of clean needles, low health awareness, cultural stigma and limited access to testing and treatment have all contributed to the crisis. According to UNAIDS, among cases with a known mode of transmission, more than half were linked to sexual contact and over 42 % to injecting drug use. Of an estimated 9,100 people living with HIV in 2025, only 39 % were aware of their status and 22 % were receiving antiretroviral therapy.
The UN agency welcomed Fiji’s emergency declaration and the plans to introduce a needle and syringe programme. Legislative amendments are expected to be presented to parliament, while efforts to expand prevention, testing and treatment access are also underway. UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said the situation is a stark reminder that AIDS is not over and that countries need health and community systems ready to respond urgently.
