Government is considering a needle and syringe exchange program to help curb HIV transmission, while keeping purchase regulations in place.
Minister for Health Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu made the comments recently when asked in Parliament whether the ministry planned to regulate needle purchases.
He said prescriptions were currently required for anyone wanting to buy needles and syringes from pharmacies.
“Government, through the Ministry of Health, is looking into the idea of a needle-sharing program,” he said.
“Currently, as it is, should you want a needle together with a syringe, you will need to have a prescription for it, but in terms of the needle and syringe exchange program, it is an issue.”
He acknowledged public concerns that such a program could be seen as “promoting drug use” but stressed its purpose was harm reduction.
“We must be reminded that the treatment of drug use is trying to treat the addiction.
“In doing so, our aim is to reduce the transmission. And if the transmission is fuelled by the sharing of needles, then studies have shown that it has worked in other jurisdictions.”
Dr Lalabalavu said the initiative would require public awareness and was “within the plan” to be piloted in the near future.
Opposition MP Jone Usamate warned that Fiji now had the second-highest HIV rate in the Asia Pacific after Papua New Guinea and asked when transmission rates might begin to stabilise or decline.
“The estimates show that we are still in the early stages,” Dr Lalabalavu said.
“We will see more cases before we start to see a reduction, because we will be doing more testing and treatment-wise.”