Fiji recorded 1583 cases of HIV in 2024, with 490 cases detected between from October – December.
Included in this number are 32 newborns diagnosed with HIV acquired through mother-to-child transmission
These alarming statistics were revealed by the Minister for Health & Medical Services, Dr Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu at the Development Partner Roundtable on Fiji’s HIV Response at the Grand Pacific Hotel this afternoon.
He added the new HIV cases were reported across all divisions of Fiji, with the central division reporting the highest number of 1100 new cases (69.49%), followed by the western division with 427 new cases (26.97%), then the northern division with 50 cases (3.16%), and the eastern division with 6 cases (0.38%).
The new cases of HIV are reported in all age groups, and the 20 – 29 years age groups reported the highest number in 815 new cases (51%).
The male gender accounted for 70% (n=1111) of the new HIV cases, while 90.3% or 1430 new cases were among iTaukei populations, followed by 133 cases among Fijian of Indian Descent (8.4%) and 20 new cases from other ethnic backgrounds (1.3%).
