Advocate Temo Sasau has urged health authorities and community partners not to abandon abstinence as part of Fiji’s HIV prevention toolkit, saying removing it risks alienating faith-based communities and weakening the country’s overall response. Sasau’s comments come after a senior Ministry of Health official told this newspaper that traditional “ABC” messages — abstinence, being faithful and condom use — no longer work in today’s context.
Dr Dashika Balak, principal medical officer for Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, had said: “When I talk about prevention, I know about ABCs… This does not work in this day and year.” Sasau said those remarks underscore the need for a broader conversation rather than the exclusion of particular prevention choices. “If abstinence is what people believe in and practise, we should not take that away from them,” he said.
Sasau acknowledged the importance of modern approaches such as condom promotion and harm-reduction strategies, but argued that public health messaging must remain inclusive and culturally sensitive. “We are dealing with a country where religion and culture play a strong role. If we ignore that, we risk losing people from the conversation,” he said, warning that outright dismissal of abstinence could create division and undermine national unity in tackling HIV.
The advocate pressed for balanced, targeted communications that reflect the reality that “not everyone is abstaining,” and for young people in particular to receive “honest and practical information.” He said the principal challenge is a lack of open discussion and awareness: “The problem is silence and lack of awareness. People need the truth so they can make informed decisions.” Sasau called for prevention strategies to be tailored to different groups rather than relying on a single approach.
The exchange highlights an ongoing tension between public-health professionals advocating evidence-based interventions and community leaders who prioritise cultural and faith-based norms. Sasau framed the choice not as picking one method over another but ensuring people are properly informed of all options. “The fight against HIV requires unity, not division,” he said, urging collaboration between the Ministry, health providers and community organisations to deliver a layered prevention response acceptable to diverse communities across Fiji.
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