Fiji is in the final stages of preparing to introduce a needle and syringe program aimed at reducing HIV infections among high‑risk groups, Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu has confirmed, while stressing that careful legal and community preparations remain under way before any rollout.
Dr Lalabalavu said the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is consulting with key legal and justice stakeholders — including the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Justices of the Peace office and other relevant agencies — to ensure the program is managed carefully and does not create unintended legal or social problems. “We in the ministry are talking with our counterparts, the DPP, the JPs office, and the other relevant stakeholders,” he said, adding that community awareness will be critical to the program’s success and acceptance.
The minister framed the intervention squarely as a targeted public health measure within a broader harm‑reduction approach, intended to reduce HIV transmission rather than to promote or normalise drug use. “It has to be accepted by the community. It must not be seen as a form of encouraging drug use,” he said, underlining the need for clear messaging before services begin.
Dr Jason Mitchell, chairman of the National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce, said enforcement concerns — rather than legal prohibitions — have contributed to delays in implementing a needle exchange. He told reporters there are no legal barriers to launching the program, but that questions around policing, safe disposal and how enforcement will interact with health services needed to be resolved first.
Needle and syringe programs are an internationally recognised element of harm reduction strategies to limit blood‑borne virus transmission among people who inject drugs. While details of Fiji’s planned scheme — such as locations, hours, staffing or whether it will include additional services like counselling or referrals to treatment — have not yet been disclosed, health officials say public information campaigns will precede any rollout to address fears and misconceptions in communities.
The announcement marks a shift from planning to implementation readiness, with officials signalling that the remaining obstacles are operational and social rather than legislative. Dr Lalabalavu said the ministry was finalising the coordination necessary across agencies so the program can proceed in a way that balances public health priorities and community concerns.
No firm start date has been given. Health authorities emphasise that the next phase will focus on securing community buy‑in and ensuring protocols for safe distribution and disposal are in place alongside clear guidance for law‑enforcement partners, after which a staged introduction of services is expected.
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