IN the next 10 years, one in every classroom could have a child living with HIV if Fiji does nothing to strengthen prevention, Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa has warned.
Mr Ravunawa’s comments come as Fiji’s HIV epidemic continues to attract international attention, with recent reports describing the country as having one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics globally.
The growing crisis has also been linked to injecting methamphetamine, with concerns raised about access to safe injecting equipment, HIV prevention and stigma-free healthcare.
The scale of the crisis is reflected in the latest Ministry of Health figures, with Fiji recording 2016 new HIV diagnoses in 2025. The ministry also recorded 117 HIV-related deaths last year, including 17 children aged under 15. Of those who died, 67 had been diagnosed with HIV in the same year.
Mother-to-child transmission remains a major concern, with 59 babies reported to have been born with HIV in 2025, compared with 31 in 2024.
Mr Ravunawa said the country needed a united response to the growing HIV crisis, with communities, traditional leaders and faith-based organisations playing a critical role.
“If we do nothing about HIV prevention,” he said.
He said the ministry needed the involvement of traditional and faith-based leaders to strengthen HIV awareness and prevention at the community level.
“We need that acceptance from traditional and faith-based leaders, etc,” he said.
He said traditional leaders, chiefs, faith-based organisations, health authorities, and communities all had a role to play in confronting the crisis.
