No area in Fiji is exempted from HIV/AIDs.

HIV/AIDS medical specialist, Dr. Rachel Devi highlighted this during HIV Surge Meeting in Suva today.

Dr. Devi briefed the permanent secretaries on the number of HIV/AIDS cases from January to June which has grown to 552, marking a 573 percent rise compared to 2017.

According to Dr Devi, the Central Division recorded 380 cases, followed by the 151 in the Western Division, 19 in the Northern Division and two in the Eastern division.

She says 97 percent of the cases are adults, with 381 men and 169 women affected, reflecting a gender disparity and three percent children.

Dr Devi says key factors contributing to this surge include an increase in unprotected sexual behavior with multiple partners, and the alarming prevalence of injectable drug use, which accounts for 15 percent of the rise in cases.

She says the age group most impacted by this surge is the 20-39 and other concerning trends like chemsex and bluetoothing are exacerbating the spread of the virus.

The HIV/AIDS medical specialist stresses the importance of raising awareness about these trends and the government’s preventative measures.

She says one of the measures is making testing and treatment accessible in all areas with decentralizing services, promoting education and awareness, strengthening data collections and analysis and expanding hard reduction programs.

The government had endorsed HIV Surge Strategy 2024-2027 targeted at addressing intersecting issues by focusing on prevention, treatment, harm reduction, human rights, and social justice.

A particular emphasis will be on coordinated public health responses to both HIV/AIDs and drug mainly because of the increase prevalence of hard drugs such as meth within the Fijian community.