Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Over 500 new cases of HIV were recorded between January to June this year, the highest in a short span of time, says Health Ministry Family Health Unit Head Dr Rachael Devi.
She raised the alarm while speaking at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Annual Conference at Shangri-La’s Yanuca Island Resort this morning, where she also said the reality on the ground was that every town and city in the country has HIV.
Dr. Devi said while people living with HIV mostly lived in urban areas, rural and maritime communities were not exempt.
She added that the spread of HIV was happening between the different populations, and via injectable drugs through Bluetoothing – a process where one person injected him or herself with an illicit drug, drew blood, and injected another person with that blood.
Dr Devi said Bluetoothing contributed 15 to 17 per cent in HIV transmission between January to June this year.
She said the data was from individuals who came forward and identified themselves as drug users who got infected through Bluetoothing.
