Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa revealed that Fiji is currently facing a HIV pandemic, and if current trends continue, projections indicate that Fiji could soon have close to 9,000 people living with HIV.
While responding to the President’s address, Ravunawa says cumulative HIV diagnoses increased from approximately 3,660 cases in 2024 to about 5,676 cases in 2025.
He says annual infections rose dramatically from 415 new cases in 2023 to 1,583 in 2024.
The Assistant Minister says that these figures only represent those captured through testing at various health centres, and there are probably three times more infected individuals who have not been tested yet, and that is a worrying situation that we are in right now.
He adds that if urgent action is not taken, projections indicate that Fiji could record more than 2,000 infections this year alone.
The Assistant Minister highlighted that the government acted late in responding to HIV, and now the country is facing the consequences.
Insert: Ravunawa on HIV people, 12th Mar 26.
Ravunawa also raised concern about the growing number of infections among young people between the ages of 20 and 24.
He says these are young Fijians who should be building their futures, young people who should be studying, working and starting families, contributing to our national development.
He also says they will now face the reality of living with a lifelong medical condition as when disease begins to affect the youth of our nation, it is no longer just a health issue—it becomes a national development crisis.
The Assistant Minister highlighted that another disturbing factor contributing to the spread of HIV is the increasing presence of illicit drugs entering the country through our borders, and the dangerous sharing of injecting equipment.
Insert: Ravunawa on bluetoothing, 12th Mar 26
The Assistant Minister reminded Members of Parliament that HIV does not ask which political party they support, which province they come from or which religion they belong to.
