Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after government estimates revealed that one in 60 adults in the country is now living with the virus, marking a sharp increase in infections. Health officials attribute the surge to a growing crisis of methamphetamine use, which has worsened alongside rising HIV cases. The government’s health minister has stated that the situation now requires an epidemic-level response, signaling alarm over the accelerating public health threat. The declaration underscores the urgent need for coordinated action to curb both substance abuse and the spread of HIV.
Government estimates that one in 60 adults in Fiji now living with HIV, as escalating use of methamphetamine fuels ‘epidemic’Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency amid a spike in infections as the Pacific nation grapples with a correlating rise in methamphetamine use.The country’s health and medical services minister, Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, said in a statement on social media that an outbreak-level response was no longer sufficient to address what he described an “epidemic”. Continue reading...
