HIV directly attacks and weakens the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to infections and cancers it would normally be able to fight off.
The Chairman of the Fiji National HIV Outbreak Cluster Response Taskforce, Dr Jason Mitchell highlighted this during fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan.
He states that many people remain undiagnosed or have dropped out of treatment, and hospitals are now seeing rising cases of HIV-related infections and tuberculosis.
Dr Mitchell says to address this issue they have strengthened planning for prevention and treatment, ensuring adequate supplies of HIV test kits, antiretroviral drugs, and TB resources.
He says the government is also preparing to introduce new prevention programs, including needle and syringe exchanges, and pre and post-exposure prophylaxis.
Dr Mitchell also emphasized that treatment is not only lifesaving but also prevents transmission, as those with fully suppressed viral loads cannot pass HIV to others.
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