Fiji’s Health Ministry reported a significant increase in HIV cases, recording 1,583 instances in 2024, including 490 cases from October to December. Among these, 32 newborns were diagnosed with HIV due to mother-to-child transmission. The figures were presented by Dr. Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu, the Minister for Health & Medical Services, during a Development Partner Roundtable focused on Fiji’s HIV Response.
The HIV cases were distributed across all divisions, with the Central division experiencing the highest incidence, tallying 1,100 new cases, which accounts for 69.49% of the total. The Western division reported 427 new cases (26.97%), the Northern division had 50 cases (3.16%), and the Eastern division noted 6 cases (0.38%).
The 20-29 age group was notably affected, representing 51% of the new cases with 815 individuals diagnosed. Furthermore, the male population constituted 70% of the new cases, predominantly among iTaukei ethnic groups, who accounted for 90.3% of the infections. In contrast, Fijians of Indian descent made up 8.4% of the cases, while other ethnicities represented 1.3%.
This rise in HIV diagnoses echoes earlier reports from January to June 2024, when 552 new cases were documented, indicating a 33% increase over the previous year. The prior statistics highlighted that 73% of those cases were among individuals under 39, particularly in the 20 to 24 and 25 to 29 age brackets. Concerns have been raised about the transmission among injectable drug users, which constituted 15% of new cases in earlier reports.
While the increase in HIV cases is troubling, there is a concerted effort from the Ministry to ramp up screening and testing initiatives across the country to counter this trend. The hope lies in enhanced care programs and public awareness, which may lead to a better grasp of this health challenge in the future.
Leave a comment