Increase of new HIV infections is now becoming more visible and worrying – UNAIDS Country Director for Fiji

UNAIDS Country Director for Fiji, Renata Ram says there has been a continuous trend of an increase of reported HIV infections, matched with an estimated continuous increase of new infections by over 116 percent since 2010, and this is now becoming more visible and worrying.

UNAIDS says it recognizes that COVID has impacted negatively on Fiji’s HIV programmes and as the technical partner on HIV/AIDS, they will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to provide the guidance, resource mobilization and support needed to meet the 2025 HIV targets.

These targets include the availability of combination HIV treatment for all, ending paediatric AIDS and eliminating vertical transmission, gender equality and empowerment of girls and women- this includes that 95 percent of women and girls have their HIV and sexual reproductive care services met including antenatal care information and counselling, community leadership through community-led programming, elimination of stigma and discrimination, universal health coverage and resources provided to deliver continually sustainable HIV services.

Ram says these are ambitious targets and the Ministry of Health’s commitment to escalating these efforts is the step in the right direction to meeting the targets needed to put Fiji on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The Ministry of Health says people are encouraged to know their HIV status and get tested, as life-long, life-saving HIV treatment is available at no cost to every Fijian.

It says young people especially are encouraged to visit their nearest health centres, or Sexual Reproductive Health Clinics in Suva, Lautoka and Labasa to get tested with full confidentiality and be counselled on prevention options that best suit them.

It was estimated in 2020 that 1300 people are living with HIV and the program statistics indicate that at the end of 2021, 804 people living with HIV know their status and 80 percent of them are currently on anti-retroviral treatment of which 6 percent are virally suppressed.