Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after infections rose sharply, with the government expanding testing, prevention and treatment. The crisis matters because Fiji’s role as a regional transport and tourism hub could increase transmission elsewhere in the South Pacific.

UNAIDS estimates about 9,000 people in Fiji were living with HIV in 2025, roughly one in 60 adults, compared with one in 167 five years earlier. More than 2,000 new cases were recorded in 2025, while 59 infants were born with HIV and 18 died before their first birthdays; officials associate the surge mainly with injected drug use and needle sharing. Only 39% of patients reportedly know their status and 22% receive treatment, prompting free testing, clean needles and antiretroviral medicines.