Fiji recorded 640 tuberculosis cases in 2025 and is facing a rising TB threat, health officials warned on World TB Day as they unveiled a new national guideline intended to halt worsening outcomes. Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa said the island nation’s TB incidence climbed to 69 cases per 100,000 people in 2025, up from 61 per 100,000 the year before, and that a sharp rise in TB–HIV co-infections has turned into a major concern for the health system.
“It is a powerful call, and we must act together,” Ravunawa said, invoking the global theme “Yes, we can end TB” while warning that the slogan must translate into urgent action. He told reporters late diagnosis, patients dropping off treatment and limited access to care — particularly in rural and maritime communities — continue to undermine Fiji’s progress against the disease. Those factors, he said, are contributing to a treatment success rate of just 59 percent, well below the World Health Organization target of 90 percent.
Health officials singled out the growing overlap between TB and HIV as a dangerous multiplier. Ravunawa urged immediate integration of TB and HIV services so patients can be diagnosed and treated for both conditions in a coordinated way. That call echoes recent government alerts about expanding HIV prevalence in Fiji; higher numbers of people living with HIV increase the pool of people vulnerable to active TB and complicate treatment and prevention efforts.
As part of the response, the Ministry of Health announced the launch of the 2025 National TB Management Guideline. Ravunawa said the guideline is designed to standardise care across the country, improve diagnostic pathways and strengthen treatment monitoring in line with global best practice. While officials did not provide a timetable for full rollout, the guideline is intended to support strengthened primary health care and community-based services to reach patients who currently face barriers to sustained treatment.
Public health experts say improving cure rates will require addressing both service delivery and social factors that lead patients to interrupt therapy. Ravunawa highlighted outreach to outer islands, better follow-up systems and community engagement as priorities. “We already have the tools, we have the knowledge, and we have the partnership needed to eliminate tuberculosis in Fiji,” he said, stressing that coordinated action is critical to prevent further transmission and deaths.
A personal perspective underlined the human stakes. TB survivor Makelesi Ranadi Navonu shared her recovery story at the World TB Day event, urging patients to adhere strictly to treatment regimens. “Taking my medication every day saved my life,” Navonu said, adding that stigma and fear often prevent people from seeking or completing care. She called on families and communities to support those affected and help break down discrimination that drives the disease underground.
The latest figures and the new guideline mark a turning point: Fiji’s TB burden is increasing and outcomes are falling short, but authorities say better-integrated services, stronger primary care and the standardised protocols in the 2025 guideline offer a pathway to reverse the trend if implemented promptly and at scale.
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