UNAIDS Pacific HIV Adviser Renata Ram outlines their plans to enhance their harm reduction strategies to curb the rising cases of HIV in the country.

She states that they have received a $2.6 million grant from the Australian government, which will be used to carry out HIV-related campaigns for the next four years.

UNAIDS estimates that between 2010 and 2022, new infections increased by 260 per cent, as Fiji has the second fastest-growing epidemic in the Asia Pacific region, after the Philippines.

Ram says the harm reduction strategies will also focus on prevention efforts for injecting drug users, which is currently a concern.

“Working with our media partners and communities in terms of creating empowering messages for HIV, for encouraging people to go and get tested, treated, and live a normal, healthy life as a person living with HIV.”

Ram says they will also be focusing on data collection and sharing methods.

“There are a lot of questions that come up to us about certain populations, but over the last 10 to 12 years, we haven’t gathered enough data to actually have a true and good picture of what the HIV crisis is in Fiji and the disadvantaged groups within our community.”

According to the Health Ministry, 82 Fijians died last year from HIV, as the country recorded a staggering 415 cases as of December.