SEVENTEEN children under the age of 15 have died from HIV, a figure the Ministry of Health and Medical Services describes as one of the highest in the world.
Principal Medical Officer for Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Unit Harm Reduction Lead Dr Sailosi Soqo said the deaths were preventable.
He made the revelation while speaking at the 43rd Fiji Head Teachers Association annual conference in Nadi.
“This is preventable,” Dr Soqo said.
He also raised concern over the number of people presenting late for HIV treatment, saying almost one-third of those who come to health facilities have advanced HIV.
“Almost a third that come to us have advanced HIV, and all those cases of HIV that died in 2025, 90 per cent was diagnosed in 2016.”
Dr Soqo said some people diagnosed with advanced HIV died in the same year they sought treatment, with some dying within a month.
He said the number of babies acquiring HIV from their mothers was also increasing each year, despite mother-to-child transmission being preventable.
Dr Soqo identified injecting drug use as a major driver of HIV transmission, while unsafe sexual intercourse was also a significant factor.
He said 42 per cent of people living with HIV reported injecting drug use as their route of transmission.
Dr Soqo also demonstrated the damage caused to needles through repeated use, comparing a new needle with needles used once, twice and six times.
He said the demonstration highlighted the risks associated with repeated needle use and needle sharing among injecting drug users.
