Fiji Declares HIV a National Crisis as New Infections Rise 12-Fold

[ Back to News Page ] Dated: 27-Sep-2026

By the Nexus Laboratories health information team · 27 September 2026

Fiji declares HIV a national crisis: new infections up 12-fold since 2010, 9,100 people living with HIV, only 39% know their status — Graphic: Nexus Laboratories. Data from UNAIDS and WHO, September 2026.

In mid-September 2026, the Government of Fiji declared HIV a national crisis. New HIV infections in the Pacific nation rose 12-fold between 2010 and 2025, and UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) have pledged to support the response.

What happened

Fiji's government formally declared HIV a national crisis and set up a cabinet subcommittee to remove policy and implementation barriers. UNAIDS announced the declaration on 16 September 2026, and WHO confirmed its continued support two days later.

“It is a stark reminder that AIDS is not over.” — Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, UNAIDS

The numbers behind the emergency

9,100people living with HIVEstimated number of people living with HIV in Fiji in 2025.

39%know their statusOnly about 4 in 10 people with HIV have been diagnosed, and just 22% are on treatment.

59babies born with HIVReported in 2025, when 2,016 people were newly diagnosed, 27% more than the year before.

Of the cases where the route of transmission is known, more than half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42% to injecting drug use. Health workers have linked the rise to a growing methamphetamine problem, including the sharing of needles and blood between people who use drugs.

What Fiji is doing

Expanding free, voluntary and confidential HIV testing nationwide
Introducing a needle and syringe programme
Widening access to HIV prevention medicine (PrEP), including twice-yearly injections
Providing free treatment for everyone diagnosed
Strengthening community engagement and work against stigma and discrimination

WHO says it is supporting Fiji's HIV Surge Strategy 2024–2027 and its national outbreak response plan, stressing that testing, early diagnosis, treatment and needle-syringe programmes are proven to work.

What this means for Malaysia

Malaysia's situation is different, but the lessons are the same. Malaysia recorded 3,185 new HIV cases in 2024, according to the Ministry of Health, and about 90% of new cases were among men. As in Fiji, many people living with HIV do not yet know it, and testing is the first step to treatment and to protecting partners.

Know your status. Get tested regularly if you are sexually active, and after any possible exposure.
Never share needles or syringes, including for drugs, tattoos or piercings.
Use condoms and ask a doctor whether PrEP is right for you.
Act within 72 hours after a possible exposure and ask about PEP.

Find a free government clinic in our list of HIV screening clinics in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, or read how HIV is transmitted.

Health note: This article is general information, not a diagnosis or medical advice. If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, see a doctor as soon as possible.

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Sources: UNAIDS press release, “UNAIDS to support Fiji as it declares HIV a national crisis,” 16 September 2026 (unaids.org); WHO, “WHO continues to support Fiji as it declares HIV a national emergency,” 18 September 2026 (who.int); ABC News, 18 September 2026 (abc.net.au); NPR, 26 September 2026 (opb.org); Malaysia figures: Portal Berita RTM, 24 March 2025 (berita.rtm.gov.my).