Health officials at Saint Giles Hospital have raised urgent concerns after a 14-year-old was admitted with complications tied to drug use and HIV, a case they say highlights a worsening trend among Fiji’s young people.
Recent hospital reports show a sharp rise in methamphetamine use, with many users injecting the drug. Authorities warn that needle sharing and the dangerous practice known locally as “bluetoothing” — where one person injects drugs, draws blood, then injects that blood into another — are accelerating HIV transmission among adolescents. Dr. Kiran Gaikward described the situation as “not just a drug problem. It’s a public health emergency,” noting drug-related psychiatric admissions are climbing at an alarming rate.
Government and health officials have pointed to broader data underlining the crisis: 57 newly admitted youths at St Giles were found to be HIV-positive, and education-sector figures show thousands of drug-related incidents in schools. A recent Ministry of Education review recorded 3,627 drug-related incidents in 2023 — a roughly 40 percent increase since 2018 — affecting both primary and secondary students. As of September, officials reported about 1.7 percent of a surveyed group of 3,519 young people had been involved in drug-related incidents, a figure experts believe underestimates the true scale.
Fiji currently lacks a dedicated rehabilitation facility for substance use disorders, leaving psychiatric hospitals to manage cases that often require months of specialized care. Health leaders warn that, without targeted rehab services, harm-reduction programs and strengthened prevention in schools and communities, more young people will face life-threatening consequences.
Commentary and context
– Bluetoothing and syringe sharing create direct pathways for blood-borne viruses like HIV; injecting stimulants such as methamphetamine also increases the likelihood of risky behaviors that can compound transmission risks.
– The spike in school-based incidents suggests early intervention — through education, family support and school health services — is critical.
– Establishing dedicated rehab and harm-reduction services (including needle-syringe programs, testing and counseling) alongside community outreach would reduce immediate transmission risks and improve longer-term recovery outcomes.
Short summary
A 14-year-old’s admission with drug-related complications and HIV has prompted warnings from St Giles Hospital and officials about rising meth injection, needle sharing and bluetoothing among Fiji’s youth. Recent data show a notable rise in drug incidents in schools and dozens of new HIV-positive youth admissions. The absence of dedicated rehabilitation services is straining psychiatric facilities and increasing the urgency for prevention, harm reduction and targeted treatment.
Hopeful note
Although the situation is serious, coordinated action — expanding treatment capacity, introducing harm-reduction measures, strengthening school and family prevention programs, and mobilizing community support — can slow and reverse these trends and protect vulnerable young people.
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