258 HIV cases recorded this year till September

258 HIV cases have been recorded this year until the end of September while 245 cases were recorded last year.

This was confirmed by the Head of Family Health from the Ministry of Health, Doctor Rachel Devi during the World AIDS Day commemoration at the Fiji National University's Nasinu Campus.

Doctor Devi says unfortunately, 29 people lost their lives due to HIV however she is reminding everyone that HIV is not a death sentence.

She says there is lifetime treatment associated with HIV and therefore awareness is vital for people to get tested and know their status.

She says out of the 258 cases, four are between the age of 11 to 14 years, 248 are adults while 6 were transmitted through mothers at birth.

Doctor Devi further says the theme of this year is "Let Communities Lead", where youths play a crucial role in spreading awareness on protection and prevention as 50 percent of the young population are diagnosed with HIV.

The commemoration will end this hour.