Litia Cava 
The Health Ministry is being urged to introduce needle-syringe programs to help curb the rising number of HIV cases in Fiji.
According to the Ministry, sharing needles among drug users is fueling the outbreak, with over a thousand cases recorded last year.
The call for action comes as health officials discuss prevention strategies, including voluntary testing and harm reduction programs.
However, there are concerns about transmission through both drug use and sexual contact.
UNAIDS Pacific states that needle-syringe programs have been successful in countries like Australia, where they have helped reduce HIV infections. These programs provide clean needles to people who inject drugs, preventing the spread of the virus.
At a discussion in Suva, UNAIDS Pacific Country Director Renata Ram made it clear that mandatory HIV testing is not a recommended strategy.
“We really need to push PrEP implementation in the country. Just over three weeks ago, we had started groundwork into the assessment of PrEP to be available here in Fiji.There are three options. It’s through injectable, through oral PrEP, and also a vaginal ring. Through our assessment, we saw that the injectable PrEP is a choice of option for most of the people that we did our consultation with.”
Instead, the focus remains on voluntary testing and prevention, in line with global human rights standards.
Health Ministry Chief Medical Officer Dr. Luisa Cikamatana revealed that intravenous drug use accounts for half of all recent HIV cases.
However, sexual transmission through vaginal and anal intercourse is also a major contributor.
“There’s been talk about it. There’s also mention how there’s probably an intervention, but more evidence needs to be gathered to really see how we can get that to the table for discussion, for any intervention.”
With the ministry officially declaring an outbreak, policymakers face mounting pressure to act. The upcoming review of the HIV Act according to Dr Cikamatana could determine whether Fiji takes a stronger prevention-based approach to tackling the crisis.
