Fiji is facing a deepening HIV crisis, with a record number of new infections and a disturbing rise in child cases and deaths, health experts warned over the weekend.

UNAIDS Pacific Adviser Renata Ram revealed that 126 people, including eight children, died from HIV-related illnesses in 2024. Speaking at the Fiji Medical Association’s 2025 North Mini-Conference in Labasa, Ram called the situation “worsening” and stressed the urgent need for accountability and innovation in the health system.

Fiji recorded 1,583 new HIV cases in 2024 — a 281% spike from 415 cases in 2023, and over 500% higher than in 2018. Of these, 41 were children, including 32 infected through mother-to-child transmission — nearly four times the previous year’s numbers.

“These numbers are not just due to better testing,” Ram emphasized. “They reflect a real surge in infections, and many people are being diagnosed too late.”

She highlighted that more than half of new infections are occurring among young people, with increasing links to injecting drug use and unsafe sexual practices. Stigma, fear, and lack of early testing continue to obstruct access to care.

Ram also pointed to deeper systemic issues — poverty, gender-based violence, and social discrimination — that fuel the HIV epidemic.

Still, she praised the Fijian government’s recent allocation of FJD 10 million to bolster the national HIV response, calling it a bold step that shows strong political will.

She also urged better integration between traditional and modern medicine, particularly in rural areas like the Northern Division, where delayed treatment remains a concern.

“Healthcare must be future-proof, ethical, and inclusive,” Ram said. “Only then can we turn this crisis around.”